I have the power

Reducing battery danger and offering in-seat power go hand in hand

After the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 debacle, where overpowered and undertested phones nearly burned through the cabin floor of a Southwest Boeing 737 (among other locations), airline industry minds have been concentrated on the hazard that batteries are posing – and will continue to pose – to commercial aviation.

Checked baggage bans for anything with a lithium battery are widespread, but passengers are still carrying an increasing number of batteries on board. Part of that is the eternal quest for device slimness by manufacturers: despite advances in battery storage technology this year’s phones get similar use time to last year’s phones.