If these are commercial flights, are they going through
any kind of imaging screening equipment? What kind?

Excellent point Richard.

In recent years all luggage is x-rayed. My wife is a radiographer and always
takes an interest in the machinery. She has never seen this particular type
of imaging before. It shows different types of metal as different colours.
Despite the commonly used name, its not really x-ray, indicated by the lack
of concern of leaked radiation ) Its definitely magnetic.

Could this be the battery killer?

Jack