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”.
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.
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