Ahead of the busy Labor Day weekend, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced new rules around specific items in checked luggage: more specifically, those often found in a beauty bag.
TSA recently updated its list of prohibited items in checked luggage to include specific hair styling tools: curling and straightening irons that operate with gas or butane cartridges, as well as refill cartridges for these devices.
In an August 21 post on X, TSA noted that “any cordless curling irons containing gas cartridges (butane) discovered in a checked bag will be removed and turned over to the airline as a HazMat item.” However, the agency also reminded travelers that styling tools such as curling irons that have a cord are still allowed in both checked and carry-on luggage. Cordless curling irons with a gas cartridge are allowed in a carry-on bag, per the post on X, but they must have a safety cover over the heating element, and fliers are limited to one such device per person and cannot bring any spare or additional cartridges.
The TSA’s most recent update comes as in-flight fires caused by lithium ion batteries—which are found in cell phones, portable chargers, certain hair styling tools, electronic toothbrushes, and many other devices that travelers frequently carry—are on the rise. According to a report released in June by UL Standards and Engagement (ULSE), a global safety organization, lithium ion battery–caused incidents on aircraft have increased by 15 percent over the past five years.
The report states that two in five passengers pack rechargeable devices in checked luggage—where they can’t be accessed during flight—and the average passenger travels with four devices powered by lithium-ion batteries. Most common are smartphones (81 percent of passengers) and laptops (40 percent).
The main danger with lithium ion batteries in-flight is a phenomenon called thermal runaway: a chain reaction in which the device, often as a result of damage, keeps getting hotter and hotter and can catch fire.
In 2024, 89 incidents caused by lithium-ion batteries overheating or catching fire were recorded on commercial and cargo flights by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)—the highest-ever number. Through June 2025, the FAA had recorded 38 incidents—not counting an August 23 American Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Phoenix that was forced to divert after a passenger’s device caught fire in the cabin.
Some airlines have started issuing their own rules around passengers’ use of lithium ion devices. In May, Southwest Airlines unveiled a new policy that portable chargers must remain in sight if they are being used in-flight, and charging in the overhead bin is prohibited.
Another major carrier, Emirates, followed with an August announcement of its new policy: Starting October 1, passengers are prohibited from using power banks on board its aircraft. In addition, they will no longer be allowed to charge personal devices with a portable charger or charge a power bank on the carrier’s aircraft. However, passengers are allowed to bring power banks on board, provided the capacity of the charger is less than 100 kilowatt hours.
Several Asian airlines also have instituted similar policies, prohibiting passengers from placing batteries in overhead bins or outright banning them from using portable batteries during the flight.
Even as federal agencies and airlines continue to implement policies and raise warnings about the risks of lithium ion batteries onboard, ULSE says its surveys “show an alarming lack of awareness and concerning behavior among U.S. airline passengers” around the issue.
However, the report also noted that passengers are hungry for more information about how to minimize risks. “Both frequent and infrequent fliers reported that in order to change their behavior, they would like to receive information reinforcing the message about how to pack these devices in different ways” as well as receive information more often than they currently do, the report stated.
It added, “Successful passenger awareness efforts must be clear, consistent, and present at multiple points before and during the passenger’s journey to raise awareness and result in behavioral change.”
