WASHINGTON —

In a safety alert Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration again warned airlines of the risk of lithium batteries carried onboard planes by passengers and crew members.

Cell phones, laptops, portable power banks, e-cigarettes, and hearing aids are just some of the many devices with the batteries that could malfunction, create a ‘thermal runaway’ and ignite a fire. Advertisement

“Lithium batteries stored in passenger overhead bins and/or in carry-on baggage, may be obscured, difficult to access, or not readily monitored by passengers or crewmembers,” the alert notes. “Because of this, detection of thermal runaway and firefighting measures may be delayed in flight, increasing the risk to safety.”

The alert comes days after the FAA demonstrated for CNN how a thermal ru

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