Caribbean airline LIAT has banned e-cigarettes for carriage
in checked luggage, citing a recommendation from the United States Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA). LIAT claims that e-cigarettes that use lithium
cells are a fire risk because these devices have on occasion overheated and caught fire when the heating element was accidentally activated. The FAA
pointed to two incidents: one in which an e-cigarette packed in checked luggage
in the cargo hold of a passenger aircraft caught fire and forced an evacuation; and another in which a checked bag that missed its flight caught
fire in the baggage area. LIAT also recommends passengers should not carry
e-cigarettes in their carry-on luggage either, stating that airport security reserves the right to remove them.
