According to the latest regulations announced by the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) of Hong Kong on Monday, 24 March, Passengers on local airlines will be banned from using power banks to charge portable devices during flights from April 7.
The announcement read as,
The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) is highly concerned about recent safety incidents suspected to have been caused by passengers carrying and using lithium battery power banks (power banks) on aircraft.
Following a notice issued last month reminding the aviation industry to strictly enforce relevant regulations regarding the carriage of items by passengers onboard, the CAD met with representatives from local airlines last Friday (March 21) and issued a new notice today (March 24) to update the requirements and regulations for local airlines regarding passengers carrying and using power banks, with a view to further enhancing aviation safety.
Last Thursday, a Hong Kong Airlines flight en route to Hong Kong was forced to make an emergency landing after a fire broke out in an overhead compartment.
On March 20, Hong Kong Airlines flight HX115 was carrying 168 passengers at an altitude of 10,000 meters when the luggage on the overhead luggage compartment suddenly caught fire.
Not waiting for regulations to be set by their country, many carriers have adopted the policy on lithium-ion batteries (Powerbanks) carriage conditions inflight due to recent developments.
After the South Korean Air Busan fire resulting an aircraft hull loss, Singapore Airlines and its subsidiary Scoot, Taiwan-based EVA Air and China Airlines, as well as Thai Airways, have joined a list of carriers prohibiting passengers from using or charging power banks inflight.
These sudden announcements this year are becoming company policies, after the fire broke out on an Air Busan plane on January 28 during take-off at South Korea’s Gimhae International Airport.
The Air Busan aircraft was preparing to depart for Hong Kong, all the occupants were evacuated safely, though seven were injured. Initial investigations suggest a portable power bank may have exploded in an overhead luggage compartment.
It's to be noted here that one of the early Power bank fire incident happened in the year 2022, that involved a Russian carrier Ural Airlines.
Emergency evacuation of the Ural Airlines A321 aircraft (RA-73842) was done due to bursting of a power bank of a passenger, while aircraft was preparing for the flight U6-167 from Moscow (DME) to Kaliningrad (KGD) on 29th Dec. 2022. No injuries were reported due to the incident.
Also, across the Globe, adopting International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines, Airlines have been banning lithium-ion batteries from check-in luggage for years, with many now banning them from in-cabin use or stowage in overhead compartments.
The Civil Aviation Department added further,
According to the latest requirements, in addition to complying with the International Civil Aviation Organization's relevant regulations on the carriage of items by passengers onboard, starting from April 7, local airlines should not allow their passengers to use power banks to charge other portable electronic devices and/or recharge power banks during flight. Stowage of power banks in the overhead compartments is also prohibited with the same effective date.
The Regulatory Authority also said that it will actively monitor the implementation of the new regulation,
For any queries, passengers are advised to check with relevant airlines on the latest regulations before their flight.
The CAD will continue to maintain close communication with relevant parties and actively follow up on the implementation of these new regulations.
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