Washington, D.C., Oct. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As millions of Americans prepare for a record holiday travel season, UL Standards & Engagement announced a new passenger education campaign about a common but overlooked flight risk: lithium-ion batteries entering thermal runaway. The organization’s most recent study on the issue found that incidents involving these batteries on flights have increased 15% over the past five years, yet 60% of travelers know little to nothing about these batteries.
"While these incidents are rare, they are happening on average two times per week,” said Jeff Marootian, president and CEO at ULSE. “The single most important thing a traveler can do to ensure a safer flight is to keep their laptops, vapes, and power banks with them in the cabin, within arm's reach. With most incidents happening in the cabin, simple changes can have an immediate and massive impact in reducing the risk."
The campaign features a cast of animated characters that will grab the attention of busy travelers with a short, simple, and potentially lifesaving behavior change: always keep your rechargeable devices at arm’s reach.
Keeping rechargeable devices nearby — and critically not in checked luggage — is the primary goal of the campaign. Cabin crew are trained to handle incidents and can be easily managed if they are caught quickly. Unfortunately, the most recent ULSE study on thermal runaway in aviation found that 38% of airline passengers admitted to packing at least one rechargeable product in their checked luggage.
Rechargeable devices — including power banks, phones, laptops, tablets, and vapes — are typically powered by lithium-ion batteries. If damaged, overcharged, or substandard, these batteries can overheat and ignite, creating fires that are notoriously difficult to extinguish. The average traveler brings four rechargeable devices with them. On a large jet like an A380, that can mean 2,180 lithium-ion battery-powered devices on board.
To help travelers remember to keep those devices nearby, the crew of animated characters reinforce the point by personifying common flight annoyances before revealing the more serious threat of lithium-ion batteries in flight:
- Peepums, the nosy neighbor who looks over your shoulder.
- Wyllson, the multi-foot monster who relentlessly kicks the back of your seat.
- The Cloudettes, who hog the window view.
- Mumblesaur, the cabin chatterbox who won’t give you any peace.
The campaign will launch as a pilot in airport markets that experience a significant increase in passengers traveling for the holidays, including Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
For more information on the campaign and tips for safer travel, visit https://www.SaferBatteryTravel.org.
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UL Standards & Engagement is a nonprofit organization that translates safety science into action through standards development, partnerships, and advocacy. Since 1903, we have developed nearly 1,700 standards and guidance documents for products ranging from fire doors to autonomous vehicles. ULSE enables innovation and grows trust by convening experts and informing policymakers and regulators as we work toward a safer, more secure and sustainable future. Visit ULSE.org for more information.
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Catie Talenti UL Standards & Engagement catie.talenti@ul.org
