South Korea’s transport ministry has decided to tighten aviation safety rules after a fire broke out on an Air Busan plane last month.
These rules will include restrictions on the number and type of portable batteries can bring on flight.
As per Reuters, the new safety measures will take effect on March 1.
Under the new safety rules, passengers can carry a maximum of five portable batteries of up to 100 watt-hours, while those over 160 watt-hours will be banned.
As per the reports, security checks will now include battery inspections and charging them on board will not be allowed.
Additionally, following a similar policy introduced by Air Busan last week, passengers will no longer be allowed to store power banks and e-cigarettes in overhead cabin bins.
The ministry said that the decision aims to reduce the risk of portable battery fires, although the exact cause of the Air Busan aircraft is still unknown.
As per the airline, a flight attendant first noticed the fire in an overhead luggage bin in the near left-hand side of the plane but all passengers and crew were safely evacuated.
Global aviation standards stated that batteries should not be placed in checked luggage as they can cause intense fires if they short-circuit due to damage or defects.
