Mobile phones are everywhere and most travelers carry at least one electronic device with a rechargeable battery, so today’s airliners often carry hundreds of rechargeable batteries on each flight, but recent accidents have highlighted the dangers rechargeable batteries can pose in extreme conditions. Airlines have begun taking more precautions but have yet to agree on common standards, creating potential confusion for frequent international travelers.
Airlines in several Asian countries have recently introduced new regulations regarding rechargeable batteries. Each airline's response has been different, highlighting the lack of common standards.
Since March 1, all Korean airlines require passengers to carry power banks and e-cigarettes with them and not place them in the overhead luggage compartment. In addition, passengers cannot charge batteries on the plane and must carry them in transparent plastic bags. Each person is limited to carrying 5 sets of mobile power supplies with a maximum capacity of 100 watt hours, and batteries with a capacity exceeding 160 watt hours cannot be carried.
The changes are intended to ease public concerns after an Air Busan plane caught fire at Incheon International Airport in January. All 170 passengers were evacuated safely, but the plane was completely destroyed. While there was no evidence definitively linking the fire to the battery, an investigation revealed the fire started in a compartment in the overhead luggage compartment.
During air travel, it only takes one battery to fail or become pinched, causing smoke or fire to jeopardize the entire flight. While passengers can evacuate the aircraft on the ground, crews typically must respond to in-flight incidents by extinguishing fires, spraying liquids on the batteries, and storing the batteries in containers.
On the same day that South Korea's new regulations came into effect, Taiwan's EVA Air and China Airlines also banned the use of mobile power supplies on aircraft, but these two airlines still allow batteries to be placed in the overhead luggage compartments. Thai Airways will also ban the use of mobile power supplies from March 15.
Although rechargeable batteries have been used in aircraft for many years, accidents involving them are becoming more frequent. Last July, a laptop caused a fire on an American Airlines flight in San Francisco, forcing passengers to evacuate and causing injuries.
Laptops on airplanes have been restricted to be placed in hand luggage, and the battery capacity cannot exceed 100 watt hours, which even affects the basic configuration and actual battery life performance of the notebook design.