South Korea’s Hanjin Group, which includes five airlines such as Korean Air, announced on Friday (January 23) that they will completely ban the use of power banks (portable chargers) in the aircraft cabin starting from January 26, allowing only for simple carry-on.
According to the Korea Times, Korean Air stated on Friday that in order to prevent fire accidents caused by lithium-ion power banks, the company along with four other airlines under the Hanjin Group (Korean Air, Jin Air, Busan Air, and Seoul Air) will prohibit the use of power banks on their flights starting next Monday (January 26).
Under the updated safety policy, passengers will not be allowed to use power banks on any flights operated by these five airlines.
Although passengers can bring power banks into the aircraft cabin, their use and charging are strictly prohibited. Passengers must seal the metal charging ports with insulating tape or pack each power bank separately in individual plastic bags or pouches to prevent possible short circuit accidents.
According to the new safety regulations, portable power banks must be stored within easy reach (such as in seat pocket) starting from next week, and storing them in the overhead bins is strictly prohibited.
A spokesperson for Korean Air stated that the company is always committed to providing a safe, secure, and comfortable flight experience for all passengers. “Prohibiting the use of power banks on board is a necessary measure to ensure the highest flight safety standards, and passengers’ cooperation is crucial.”
Recently, there have been frequent incidents of cabin fires caused by power banks, raising growing concerns about flight safety.
In January last year, a plane operated by Busan Air caught fire before takeoff at Gimhae International Airport in Busan. The investigation results showed that the accident was caused by a power bank stored in the luggage compartment.
The South Korean aviation industry is expanding the implementation of the ban on using power banks in the cabin. In October last year, Eastar Jet became the first airline in South Korea to implement this ban, followed by Jeju Air on the 22nd of this month.
With the five airlines under the Hanjin Group fully implementing this ban, it is expected that other airlines will follow suit one after another.
Currently, the global aviation industry is continuously strengthening regulations on managing power banks in the cabin to ensure flight safety.
Earlier, airlines under the Hanjin Group, including Korean Air, have implemented fire prevention measures according to the policies of the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, including providing insulating tape at the check-in counters and boarding gates to prevent power bank short circuits.
Other safety measures include pasting temperature-sensitive stickers on the luggage racks to detect overheating conditions more quickly; cabin crew members also need to receive special training on power bank fires to enhance their response speed to potential inflight fires.