Dell has announced what it is thought to be the largest recall of batteries ever - and it may prompt airlines to take steps to reduce the threat posed by such hardware.

The recall of 4.1 million battery units followed several reports of Dell notebooks igniting. The recalled battery units are made by Sony and were used by Dell in various Inspiron, Latitude, XPS and Precision Mobile Workstation brands from April 2004 to July 2006.

On a site set up to deal with the problem, Dell said it had “identified a potential issue associated with certain batteries” and that it would work with regulators on the recall. “Under rare conditions, it is possible for these batteries to overheat, which could pose risk of fire,” the firm said.

Dell UK could not confirm how many local customers are affected but European customers can visit this site or call the free number 00800 3033 4044.

Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Federal Aviation Administration has recorded six cases of alarms related to laptops in the last two years.

The most recent high-profile case took place on a Lufthansa flight in May from Chicago. A smoking suitcase containing a laptop and spare batteries had to be removed from the hold before take-off.

The report added that various aviation regulators have held meetings to discuss possible solutions to the problem.

Experts said the risks remain very low but recent restrictions on UK air travel with computers may encourage firms to reconsider their attitudes.

In an offer that may appeal to air travelers prevented from carrying laptops, Citrix last week said it would offer free use  of its GoToMyPC remote-control software for a limited period. Unlike its previous trial offer, users are allowed 60, rather than 30, days of access, and do not need to provide credit-card details.