Several airlines in Asia are tightening rules on carrying lithium batteries on planes following a series of overheating and fire incidents on board.
A portable power bank with a lithium battery has been found to be a possible source of a fire that engulfed an Air Busan plane in January while waiting for takeoff, South Korea’s transport ministry said in a press release, citing the investigation committee and forensic services, CNN reported.
Investigators found “multiple electrical melting marks from the remains of a power bank,” the release said.
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Travelers often pack lithium-ion battery power banks to charge their phones, tablets, laptops and cameras on the go. The pocket-sized devices keep gadgets fueled to play games or watch downloaded movies to stay entertained on long-haul flights.
But manufacturer issues, misuse and aging can heighten the risk from the batteries, which use flammable materials, potentially posing a fire danger on flights.
More than 500 in-flight lithium battery incidents involving smoke, fire, or extreme heat have been recorded by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the past two decades.
Furthermore, according to US FAA and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rules Lithium-ion batteries, such as power banks, should only be packed in carry-on baggage. Most airlines allow each passenger to carry a maximum of two lithium-ion power banks of 100-160 Watt-hour (Wh) into the cabin.
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