AA batteries when poorly carried even in transit are at risk because they tend to react with whatever is in their environment. For instance, when placed close to metallic items, they might short-circuit and this is quite dangerous if not noticed early enough.
Can you take AA batteries on a Plane? Yes, they are allowed on planes though you should be wary of some best practices to adhere to, in order to be on the safe side.
When travelling on an airplane, AA batteries should be placed at safe reach to avoid them from causing minor accidents that might put not only your life, but also the life of other travellers at risk.
Caveats and Rules to Follow When Carrying AA Batteries on a Plane
These are the basic regulations that one should adhere to when carrying batteries or devices using AA batteries on an airplane. In other cases, airlines have their own set of rules that need to be followed.
For dry cell batteries, you are permitted to carry them as carry-on luggage. This means having it in a device or as replacement batteries. Dry cell batteries include lithium, alkaline and NiMH batteries.
Apart from lithium AA batteries that are carried while one goes aboard the plane, other types of batteries are checked in the luggage department.
You are advised to carry any type of batteries with you in your carry-on luggage and not have it in the checked baggage. This is to provide an easy time for the air staff to deal with them when need arises.
For the whole period of travel, your spare batteries should be kept in their protective cases or even plastic carriage bags if possible. This prevents a scenario of them coming into contact with metal which can turn hazardous.
Carrying batteries in packages that contain metallic objects is ill-advised. Such a situation will put the batteries at risk of short-circuiting with the metallic items such as coins, bangles and any type of metallic jewellery.
Your airline should advise on safe practices to follow to avoid putting the lives of those travelling at risk if you are carrying spare AA batteries.
What You Need to Know About Carrying Spare AA Batteries on an Airplane?
When carrying spare batteries on a plane, unlike those in use for devices, you need to keep a close eye on them. You should be on the lookout for punctures on the battery, or even avoid crushing and putting them under pressure.
This causes the battery to short circuit internally which will then cause its overheating. In some cases, the battery might even explode depending on a number of factors like the room temperature.
Spare batteries have to be maintained in protective cases or even the package that they are purchased with. It is advisable to also tape the terminals so that you cover them hence protecting them from coming into contact with metallic items you might have carried with you.
Avoid placing loose batteries in the same luggage compartment with metal objects such as rings, coins and even jewellery. In the case of a battery carried on the carry-on luggage, you are advised to have them close to you as possible. this will help a lot when staff want to deal with an arising issue.
For battery-powered gadgets, switching them off helps a lot. This will help taming the battery as it will be in disconnected state. Power implements come across as quite risky as something may hit the switch and cause them to switch on thus putting the lives of everyone on board at risk.
Some batteries are carried on board for wheelchairs and medical devices. In such cases, the airline staff should advise on what should be done and what precautionary measures have to be followed. The checking officials can advise on what should be done in order to avoid putting those on board at risk.
Power tools are mostly not allowed in the carry-on luggage and should instead be packed in the checked luggage. This is the case for either corded, battery or engine powered.
In the case of cordless drills that use batteries as power sources, they have to be in the checked in luggage. The batteries will have to be attached to them and should be kept in a manner that prevents the occurrence of shorting.
Why Safety Precautions Have to Be Followed When Carrying AA Batteries on Board?
AA batteries or any type of batteries can turn out to be quite hazardous especially if not carried properly. In most cases, what is in their environment would trigger a series of events that would cause chemical reactions in the battery. this might not end up well if the batteries are not placed in an easily accessible area.
The carry-on luggage is a good idea to pack spare batteries so that both you and the airline officials have a close eye on them. This will help them mitigate a danger as soon as it occurs as they are trained to do so.
The battery, if in a bag, should be well sealed to prevent the terminals from shorting with metallic items that might be in the same compartment.
Battery-powered devices could go in either the carry-on or checked luggage but you will have to adhere to the above rules and regulations. They should be turned off as having them on may provoke a series of unpleasant events you would not want to deal with.
The airline staff should advise in special cases like batteries for wheelchairs and other medical-related equipment like a mobility aid.
Conclusion
It is advisable that when travelling by plane, one puts all batteries and even devices containing batteries in their carry-on luggage. Packing them this way will enable you or any one in charge to access them quickly enough when needed to avoid more harm from happening.
Sources:
1. Flying with Power Tools, Hand Tools and Hardware: What Are the Rules? – KN Aviation
