Emirates passengers face power bank use ban over fears of fire and explosions

Airline becomes latest to raise concerns over popular portable charger devices

Passengers on flights with Emirates will soon be banned from using phone power banks due to concerns over fires, explosions and toxic gases.

The airline announced this week that the new safety measures will be implemented from 1 October following a safety review - becoming the latest to raise concerns over the popular portable charger devices.

Power banks are rechargeable and can then charge other electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops and cameras, when people are out.

Emirates customers will still be allowed to carry one power bank onboard, as long as it has capacity rating information available and is only stored in the seat pocket or a bag under the seat in front, not in the overhead storage. There is already a ban in place preventing them from being stored in checked luggage.

However, the airline warned that the device will not be allowed to be used in aircraft cabins for fear of “dangerous consequences like fire, explosions, and the release of toxic gases”.

Power banks will soon be banned from use on board Emirates flights due to fears over fires, explosions and toxic gases (AP)

It said in a statement: “There has been a significant growth in customers using power banks in recent years, resulting in an increasing number of lithium battery-related incidents onboard flights across the wider aviation industry.

“New regulations will significantly reduce risks associated with power banks by prohibiting their use while onboard the aircraft. Storing power banks in accessible locations within the cabin ensures that in the rare event of a fire, trained cabin crew can quickly respond and extinguish the fire.”

It is the lithium-ion batteries used in power banks that have raised major concerns among airlines and aviation safety regulators due to the risks of overheating in cases of overcharging or damage.

The move may trigger other carriers to introduce their own restrictions on power bank usage.

Multiple Asian airlines have already done so, including carriers in China, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea and Singapore, such as Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways.

A Batik Air flight began to be filled with smoke from a burning power bank minutes before it landed in Bangkok in March, with videos posted to social media showing panic among passengers (kentmaherr/TikTok)

From 1 March, South Korea implemented stricter rules across operators following a fire on an Air Busan plane on 28 January.

Meanwhile, in the US, Southwest Airlines passengers must now use their portable chargers and batteries in plain sight. The airline brought in the rule from 28 May citing safety concerns after multiple overheating incidents.

Last year, three incidents a fortnight of overheating lithium batteries on planes were recorded globally by the US Federal Aviation Administration, compared to just under one a week in 2018.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) advises that “spare batteries for portable electronic devices containing lithium-ion batteries exceeding a Watt-hour rating of 100 Wh but not exceeding 160 Wh” are permitted in carry-on luggage for personal use.

It adds: “No more than two individually protected spare batteries per person may be carried.”

Each lithium-ion cell or battery must also be “individually protected so as to prevent short circuits”.

Any spare batteries are not permitted to fly in checked baggage, warns the CAA.

Glenn Bradley, head of flight operations at the CAA, said: “Lithium batteries power everything from vapes and mobile phones to cameras and power banks. If they become faulty or damaged, they can cause an intense fire that is difficult to extinguish – both in the cabin or hold of an aircraft.

“Correct handling reduces risk. Lithium batteries should be carried in your carry-on baggage. Power banks and spare batteries should also be in a cabin bag and should be completely turned off and not in standby mode.”

Foreign Office travel advice recommends checking “the restrictions on certain types of batteries with your airline if you’re not sure what you can carry”.