CAL bans hoverboards over risky batteries

| 14/12/2015 | 36 Comments

hoverboard(CNS): Powerful and potentially dangerous lithium-ion batteries inside ‘hoverboards’, the latest techno street craze, have led to an outright ban by the national airline. Officials from Cayman Airways Ltd said that, like other airlines, it will not allow the self-balancing scooters or skateboard on its planes as either hand or stored luggage, nor will CAL carry them as cargo. The concern is over safety issues, as CAL said the batteries are a dangerous fire hazard and reports from around the world suggest that the boards can also explode when faced with temperature changes.

Not only are the powerful batteries at risk of combusting, but inaccurate labeling and a lack of regulation surrounding the manufacture have caused further concerns about the fire risk.

“The largely unregulated manufacture of the products in general, with no consistent safety specifications, create a risk that airlines are simply unwilling to accept,” CAL said Monday, as it issued a release announcing the ban on all of its aircraft.

“The safety of our passengers and crew remains the top priority for Cayman Airways, so we appreciate the public’s understanding and support,” said Cayman Airways President and CEO, Fabian Whorms.

Hoverboards have already been banned by many leading US airlines and the safety of the product has been called into question by retailers. What were expected to be this year’s major Christmas gift item are also the subject of various consumer investigations as a result of fires and explosions associated with the cheaper batteries used in some models.

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Comments (36)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Had they properly researched they would have found that this is a known issue elsewhere in the world and is isolated to known defaults on cheap immitations of more trustworthy brands, the latter which are perfectly safe. Guidance is out there to easily detect the difference but let’s be heavy handed and have an all out ban!

    • Anonymous says:

      Why should they spend the time, efforts and money to do the research? Who should then decide which brands are save and which ones aren’t? I wouldn’t want to be the one making that decision and I highly doubt that CAL has any “experts” employed who can make that call.

      I personally appreciate that the airline is trying to keep its customers save and if at times that results in inconvenience for a few (including myself), so be it!

  2. Kathy says:

    Please note that it is not a skateboard, and should never be referenced as a skateboard. Thank you!

    • Anonymous says:

      Wow Kathy, people like really care and appreciate that. It’s so important. So which one is going to save the planet?

  3. Anonymous says:

    There was a fatal accident in 2010 involving an undisputedly large UPS cargo shipment of cheap Li-Ion batteries out of Dubai and all LIB Dangerous Goods policy has stemmed from that event. Yet, Li-Ion batteries power every single modern rechargeable electronic device, from laptops, ipads, razors, to cell phones. There are literally hundreds of these batteries on every commercial passenger flight, everyday, everywhere in the world. The safety record is pretty good.

    So much so, that IATA have in fact relaxed their LIB Dangerous Goods cargo conditions and this revision goes into effect April 1st 2016. Li-Ion batteries will be allowed in cargo effective then, but must have no more than 30% state of charge during transit: http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/cargo/dgr/Pages/lithium-batteries.aspx

    CAL ought to have reviewed the IATA standard and adopted that clear policy for all modern rechargeable devices instead of specifically targeting hoverboards. Rest assured Shenzhen and Guangzhou will be pumping out some other pop gadget next year…

  4. Anonymous says:

    Good decision by CAL!

    In fact, it may be a good idea for investigators of recent mysterious air tragedies to look into whether or not these devices were on board.
    Whereas they are only now growing in popularity in this part of the world, they have enjoyed popularity in Asia and Eastern Europe for some years now.

    However, there will be some tears this Christmas – my house included.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Lithium batteries have caused airliners to crash before. Do your research before commenting b*llsh*t. Good call Cayman Airways.

    • Anonymous says:

      “Its the dilithium crystals Cap’n, they cannot take it…”

    • Anonymous says:

      One commercial cargo accident in Dubai in 2010. What others?

      • Anonymous says:

        The Malaysian plane that disappeared into the Indian Ocean was known to have a cargo load of these batteries. The Russian plane in Egypt, who knows, but they have ruled out terrorism as a factor in that crash. Maybe they were on a trans shipment from Asia to Russia.

        • Diogenes says:

          “Ruled out” terrorism ….Ordinarily one would struggle to believe anyone could be this ill informed, but the tenor of the post suggest that no, they actually are an idiot. So for the avoidance of doubt, the Sinai crash has been ruled a terrorist incident by the Americans, the UK, and even the Russians, who have admitted the presence of explosive residue on the debris, other than the Egyptian government – who have yet to offer an alternative explanation or exclude terror. Hey, you may even be right, but “ruled out” is so far off a reasonable that yopu should join Donald Trumps speech writing team. As for MH370, they were some amazing batteries if their spontaneous combustion resulted in the aircraft not simply crashing, but reversing route and evading radar before flying for hours and hours before crashing, but I guess in your fevered brain virtually anything is possible. But hey, why bother reading the press or researching stuff – just make it up to fit your own views.
          .

      • Anonymous says:

        I think one is enough.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Yet their not afraid to buy an antiquated unwanted SAAB with a not so great safety record.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Good move CAL, better safe than sorry. To those detractors, would you or any of your loved ones want to be on board an aircraft in which a hover-board catches fire?

  8. Cheese Face says:

    Great Scott!

  9. Tooty Fruity says:

    These things are the work of the devil in any event and should be banned from. Our God fearing Islands.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Party poopers.

  11. Anonymous says:

    I can understand the safety concern, but let’s keep things in perspective here. There are probably 1,000,000+ hover boards on the market, with a half dozen or so reported fires. Most were probably abused, overcharged, or discharged beyond safe levels, all of which are hazardous to any lithium battery. Do a search for I-phone explodes and you will be amazed at what you find.

    • Inquiring Mind says:

      Anon 1:23, How do you know there were only “a half dozen or so” fires?

      • Anonymous says:

        I have researched this issue extensively b/c funny enough, I just flew into Cayman last week with 3 of these. Good timing on my part I guess.
        9:24 & 9:27, if you are so concerned about lithium batteries exploding on airplanes, please ask them to ban all cell phones, tablets, laptops, cameras, camcorders, electric toothbrushes, cordless trimmers and anything else containing lithium batteries, which is pretty much EVERYTHING.

        • A Nony Mouse says:

          Whenever I have traveled in the recent 22 years, I have had at least 7 devices in checked and carry-on baggage containing Li/Ion batteries in them. That is all laptops, cell phones, tablets, electric toothbrushes, shavers, etc, etc, etc…

          It is a simple matter to determine if there is a UL/CSA certification on the device. Many of the “cheapie” toys that people tend to gravitate towards based upon PRICE ALONE (especially flea market purchases) do not meet these standards. If the “ban” is being enforced due to the “inherent danger” of Li/Ion batteries, then the traveling public is in for one HELL of a shock when all modern electronics become “banned devices!” Otherwise, this action is knee-jerk and totally irrational based upon current knowledge and extremely isolated incidents.

          Nearly all of these “tragedies” have happened during the charging cycle, often using unauthorized or unregulated third party chargers which can cause catastrophic failure of Li/Ion batteries of ANY kind. How many folks are actively CHARGING these devices on the plane?? Jet engines catastrophically explode on take-off and in flight far more often than these isolated Li/Ion incidents. I guess we should ban jet engines on commercial aircraft, eh?

    • Anonymous says:

      Do you want to be on a plane when that one in a million blows?

    • Anonymous says:

      1.23 So you want us all to get on a plane where one of these exploding board might or might not be? Buy your own plane and carry them yourself punk, I would rather the airlines regulated this than some wannabe know it all whose idea of an electrical engineering degree is plugging in the Christmas lights…

    • Cass says:

      Totally agree with you.

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