The FAA released a new safety alert for operators—SAFO 15003—to address the fire hazard potential of e-cigarettes packed in baggage stored in the cargo hold of an aircraft. Research has identified a fire risk should the e-cigarette heating element either be left on or be switched on accidentally. Currently, there is no regulation that specifically prohibits packing e-cigarettes.

The FAA recommends e-cigarette users keep these devices in their carry-on luggage to more quickly identify and extinguish a potential fire. ICAO released a similar bulletin on December 10.

The SAFO was generated after an incident last summer at Boston Logan Airport. While the aircraft was on the ramp, an e-cigarette in the cargo hold overheated, causing a fire that required the evacuation of the aircraft. On January 4, another fire ignited in the checked baggage of an aircraft at Los Angeles International Airport attributed to an overheated e-cigarette. The SAFO also said, “This danger [of e-cigarettes] may be exacerbated by the growing trend of users modifying and rebuilding their reusable e-cigarette devices (personal vaporizers) and interchanging original and aftermarket batteries, heating elements and vaporizing components.”