The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will no longer allow e-cigarettes and other battery-powered portable electronic smoking devices in checked baggage on airlines because of the risk of heating elements contained within them accidentally catching fire.
ICAO first advised its member states of potential safety issues related to e-cigarettes in December 2014. At time, the recommendation to airlines was that passengers be required to carry such devices in the airplane cabin and not in checked baggage.
ICAO has now formally amended the rules governing the transportation of dangerous goods to prohibit both airline passengers and crew from carrying the devices in checked baggage. The change also prohibits recharging the devices in aircraft cabins.
Canadian airlines, such as WestJet and Air Canada, already prohibit passengers from carrying e-cigarettes in checked baggage as well as on board usage.
