Laptops likely to be banned from check-in luggage

New Delhi : Days after a mobile phone caught fire on a Delhi-Indore flight, the aviation authority is now planning to ban large personal electronic devices (PED) like laptops from check-in luggage.

Power banks, portable mobile chargers and e-cigarettes are already banned in check-in baggage in India.

The American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has submitted its test results in this ICAO paper, which concludes that fire in PED kept in cargo hold "could lead to loss of aircraft".

"FAA fire safety branch conducted 10 tests utilising a fully charged laptop computer inside a suitcase. A heater was placed against a lithium ion cell in the battery of a laptop to force it into thermal runaway.... it was concluded that if a PED is packed in a suitcase with an aerosol can and a thermal runaway event occurs, there is the potential for an aerosol can explosion.... (In some cases) the fire suppression system of the aircraft is then compromised, which could lead to the loss of the aircraft," the paper of ICAO, a UN agency, said.

Why it would be a helpful decision?

The cabin crew these days is trained to douse fire by PED and it would be easier for them to take the necessary action in case of emergency. Most consumer PEDs like cell phones, tablets and laptops are currently allowed in carry-on and checked baggage.