Ahead of the busy Labor Day weekend, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced new rules for checked luggage, more specifically, certain items that are common in beauty bags.
TSA recently updated its list of prohibited items to checked luggage, including specific hair styling tools, refilling curl and straight ring irons that operate on gas or butane cartridges, as well as cartridges for these devices.
In a post on August 21st of X, TSA said, “The cordless curling iron containing the gas cartridge (butane) found in the check bag will be removed and handed over to the airline as an item of hazardous material.” However, the agency also reminded travelers that styling tools such as corded curling irons are still permitted in both checked and carry-on baggage. Cordless curling irons with gas cartridges can be placed in carry-on bags as per post X, but the heating element requires a safety cover, flyers are limited to per person devices, and spare or additional cartridges cannot be brought with you.
The latest update for TSA comes as a fire in flight caused by lithium-ion batteries (mobile phones, portable chargers, specific hair styling tools, electronic toothbrushes, and many other devices that travelers often carry). According to a report released in June by Global Safety Organization UL Standards and Engagement (ULSE), Lithium Ion Battery -Caused Icidents has grown by 15% over the past five years.
The report says that two in five passengers packed their rechargeable devices into the bags they’ve charged, making them inaccessible during flight, and the average passenger has four devices equipped with lithium-ion batteries. The most common are smartphones (81% of passengers) and laptops (40%).
The main danger of lithium-ion batteries in flight is a phenomenon known as thermal runaway. It is a chain reaction that often results in the damage, allowing the device to continue to get hotter and grab fire.
In 2024, 89 incidents with lithium-ion batteries were recorded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in overheating or fire fires in commercial and freight. Until June 2025, the FAA recorded 38 incidents. The August 23 American Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Phoenix was not counted, and passenger equipment was forced to detour after a fire broke out in the cabin.
Some airlines have begun issuing their own rules regarding the use of lithium-ion equipment passengers. In May, Southwest Airlines announced a new policy that portable chargers must maintain visibility if they are used during flight, and is prohibited from charging in overhead bins.
Another major airline, Emirates, followed the announcement of its new policy in August. From October 1st, passengers are prohibited from using the power bank on aircraft. Additionally, you will no longer be allowed to bill personal devices with portable chargers or charge power banks to carrier aircraft. However, if the charger capacity is less than 100 kilowatt hours, passengers are permitted to carry a power bank.
Also, several Asian airlines have enacted similar policies, banning passengers from placing batteries in fictitious bins or completely banning portable batteries while flying.
Despite federal agencies and airlines continuing to implement policies and raise warnings about the risks of lithium-ion batteries on board, ULSE calls the investigation “indicating a surprising lack of awareness and concern among passengers on US airlines.”
However, the report also noted that passengers are starving for details on how to minimize risk. “Both frequently caught up in and rare flyers want to receive information that enhances messages about how these devices are packaged in different ways in order to change their behavior,” the report said, receiving information more frequently than it is now.
“Passian awareness efforts must be clear, consistent, consistent and present at multiple points before and after a passenger journey to raise awareness and bring about behavioral change.”
