Onboard Battery Events Jump 15% as Power Bank Use Grows | Aviation International News

Onboard Battery Events Jump 15% as Power Bank Use Grows

Expert advises on dangers, preparation for lithium battery incidents

David Wroth, v-p of standards, technology, and operations for the nonprofit safety organization UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE). — David Wroth, v-p of standards, technology, and operations for the nonprofit safety organization UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE) © Air Line Pilots Association

By Kerry Lynch • Editor, AIN monthly magazine

September 16, 2026

Incidents involving lithium batteries aboard airplanes have increased 15% in the last year, with power banks becoming the biggest source, according to David Wroth, v-p of standards, technology, and operations for the nonprofit safety organization UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE).

Wroth, who heads the organization’s Thermal Runaway Incident Program (TRIP), provided an overview of the scope of the problem—and concrete steps that pilots could take—during a session, “What’s in Your Bag?,” at the Air Line Pilots Association’s (ALPA) 70th Air Safety Forum in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

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