A United Nations organization is considering this month a ban on laptop computers in checked baggage on flights, due to the potential fire risk of laptop batteries, according to CNN.
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The International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency, is considering a recommendation from its Dangerous Goods Panel that says an overheating laptop battery could could cause a fire in the cargo bay that could “lead to the loss of the aircraft.”
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which is represented on the U.N. panel, said in a recent paper filed with the U.N. body that its studies pointed to the lithium-ion batteries in laptops as having the potential to ignite aerosol cans also packed in luggage, which could cause a debilitating fire on a plane.
However, the recommendation by the U.N. body does not carry the force of law, and must be ratified by legislative bodies of member nations.
The Department of Homeland Security announced a new policy earlier this year that prohibited passengers from carrying large electronics aboard flights coming into the U.S. from certain countries in the Middle East, which led to people checking their computers instead, prompting the latest concerns.
The ban has been lifted on flights from most countries and the FAA says relatively few people choose to check laptops otherwise.