Lithium Batteries Face Travel Restrictions

The new year will bring with it new restrictions on carrying a commonly used type of rechargeable battery in the air.

As of Jan. 1, one of the most common types of rechargeable batteries used in gadgets ranging from laptops to cell phones will be subject to new restrictions on American flights. New rules from the US Department of Transportation will limit the size and number of lithium batteries allowed, as well as laying out other stipulations for safely travelling with them.

Under the new rules, spare batteries (those not installed in any device) can no longer be carried in checked luggage. If they are to be brought along, they must be packed in a carry-on, with packaging tips to be followed in order to keep their contacts from touching metal and causing a short.  The Department of Transportation generally recommends keeping them in their original packaging, or a plastic bag if need be.

Limits will also dictate the size of permissable batteries. Batteries with lithium content of 8 grams or less will be considered ordinary, with no limit on how many may be carried. The 8 gram threshold easily covers all cell phone batteries and should cover almost all laptop batteries. Batteries with lithium content up to 25 grams are allowed, as long as he combined weight of all batteries over 8 grams and below 25 grams is under 25 grams, and no more than two are allowed.

The new limitations come due to concerns that a fire on a cargo plane at Philadelphia International Airport last year could have been caused by a shorted lithium-ion battery.