A major airline is banning a common product many people travel with from checked baggage – and there’s also restrictions to using them on-board
One Asian airline will soon ban this common travel item from checked luggage due to safety concerns. It is set to take effect next month when the airline joins the already growing number of air carriers who have already taken action against the use of portable power banks.
Singapore Airlines announced on Wednesday (March 12) that portable power banks will no longer be permitted in checked luggage. Instead, passengers who need theirs will need to pack it into their cabin bag. The policy change is set to take effect on all Singapore Airlines flights beginning on April 1, 2025. While power banks will be permitted in cabin, the airline advises that they cannot be used onboard.
According to the statement, the firm says: “Singapore Airlines customers will not be allowed to charge portable power banks via the onboard USB ports, or use power banks to charge their personal devices, throughout the duration of the flight.”
Additionally, there are restrictions on the type of portable power banks passengers will be permitted to pack in their cabin baggage. Singapore Airlines confirmed: “Customers may bring power banks with a capacity of up to 100Wh without special approval, while those between 100Wh and 160Wh require airline approval.”
Singapore Airlines is just the latest airline to curb the carry of portable power banks. Other airlines that have restricted or outrightly banned the usage or carry of power banks include: Scoot, Thai Airways, South Korean Airlines, EVA Air and China Airlines.
But what dangers do portable power banks pose? Essentially, power banks use lithium-ion batteries, which are known to be highly flammable and difficult to extinguish. This is particularly concerning given that they are prone to overheating and short-circuiting.
Singapore Airlines already has specific regulations surrounding lithium batteries, and has said their new policy: “complies with the International Air Transport Association’s Dangerous Goods Regulations” on power banks, which are classified as lithium-ion batteries. The new policy announcement comes less than two months after an Air Busan plan caught fire at Gimhae International Airport. The incident which occurred on January 28 and injured three people on board, may have been caused by a power bank.
South Korea’s transport ministry’s initial investigation found a scorched power bank in an overhead luggage compartment where the fire was first observed. Following the incident Air Busan also confirmed they would be enforcing stricter regulations around power banks.
Air Busan announced that it will no longer allow passengers to keep portable power banks in their cabin luggage, in addition to prohibiting them from checked luggage. The South Korean government also announced that all passengers boarding flights in the country would soon be required to carry portable batteries and chargers on their person.
