New airport checklist to hit for anyone travelling abroad from Wales or England

Three million passengers are expected to fly from Wales and England this October half term

Over 10,000 passengers are expected to fly from Wales along with more than 2.9million travellers from England this October bank holiday. With so many people taking to the skies this month, the UK Civil Aviation Authority is urging passengers to follow its new safety checklist.

The new lithium battery safety checklist comes as the authority warns that incidents involving lithium battery-powered devices remain highly likely during this busy travel period. The list has been made to encourage passengers to follow simple safety rules when flying.

New research suggests awareness of lithium battery safety among passengers has improved following a summer-long awareness campaign by the regulator, airports and airlines across the UK. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What’s On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here

Awareness of lithium battery travel rules has increased to 86% among recent flyers, up by 5% from last year. However almost one in three passengers still incorrectly believe that items containing lithium batteries should be packed in checked luggage.

As passengers now travel with phones, tablets, laptops and power banks, it is important to know how to recognise and respond to an overheating device.

Ceri Mashlan, operations director at Cardiff Airport, said: “As we prepare to welcome thousands of passengers travelling through Cardiff Airport during the half-term break, we are encouraging everyone to take a few moments to familiarise themselves with the Civil Aviation Authority’s lithium battery safety advice.

“Most passengers carry devices such as phones, tablets and power banks when they travel, and understanding how to pack and use them safely is an important part of today’s air travel. Working together with our airline partners and the UK Civil Aviation Authority, we can help ensure every journey starts and finishes safely.”

The Civil Aviation Authority’s lithium battery checklist

• Always take power banks in the cabin and check with your airline that they meet its size and quantity limits for carriage
• Do not charge your power bank on any flight
• If you want to use a power bank on a flight, first check that your airline allows it and keep it easily accessible
• If a power bank, vape, phone or tablet starts to get hot then switch it off and stop charging and alert the cabin crew immediately
• If a power bank or device starts to smoke, alert the cabin crew immediately
• Always carry vapes inside the cabin with you but never vape onboard an aircraft.

Safety tips when travelling with lithium batteries

The authority has provided passengers to help keep passengers safe when travelling:

• Choose reputable suppliers and brands when buying devices and spare batteries.
• Follow airline rules and manufacturer instructions for carrying and using lithium batteries.
• Keep spare batteries with you in the cabin and protect them from damage.
• If before boarding your cabin bag is taken to be placed in the hold then remember to remove any batteries or lithium powered devices.
• You can take two power banks per person that should never be recharged onboard the aircraft.
• Batteries that show signs of damage, overheating, or swelling should not be used and should never be carried on an aircraft.