US confirms total ban of e-cigarettes on commercial flights

The US government issued a final ruling on Wednesday March 2 prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes on any domestic or foreign airline flying to, from or within the United States. The US Transportation Secretary, Anthony Foxx, confirmed in a statement that: “This final rule is important because it protects airline passengers from unwanted exposure to aerosol fumes that occur when electronic cigarettes are used onboard airplanes.”
While it had been interpreted for a long time that e-cigarettes fell under the same ban as the long-standing one on cigarettes and other tobacco products, there had been no definitive legislation. Wednesday’s announcement has now eliminated any potential confusion. While there has been no actual restriction on passengers carrying e-cigarettes on to a plane, they have not been allowed to charge them when on board.
The ruling also prohibits passengers from packing e-cigarettes in their checked luggage under the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which is part of the Transportation Department. Last year it adopted an interim final regulation of the Federal Aviation Administration which prohibited passengers carrying e-cigarettes in their hand luggage. This was as a result of a number of instances where e-cigarettes have been responsible for suitcase fires. This year a Hawaiian Airlines’ pilot was forced to make an emergency landing after an e-cigarette in a checked bag required the activation of the fire-suppression system.
The principal problem once again relates to lithium batteries, this time used to power e-cigarettes. This form of battery has a reputation for igniting if exposed to excessive temperature, if damaged or if it has a manufacturing fault. One of the biggest problems with fires caused by e-cigarettes is that investigators have been unable to establish whether the problem arose because the cigarette had been left switched on when packed and had ignited flammable material next to it, or if the battery itself had caused the fire.