Flyers now barred from using power banks on flights for charging — check DGCA guidelines here
The DGCA has prohibited charging devices with power banks during flights due to safety concerns over lithium batteries. Passengers must carry them in hand luggage, avoid usage during flights, and report any overheating devices to the cabin crew, guidelines said.
THE Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has prohibited charging power banks inflight and using them with in-seat power systems after incidents related to lithium batteries catching fire mid-flight were reported.
The aviation watchdog recently issued a 'dangerous goods advisory circular' which bars the use of power banks to charge their portable electronic devices inflight, reports TOI's Saurabh Sinha.
Power banks and batteries are now only allowed in hand luggage, not overhead bins. Passengers are also prohibited to charge their power banks by plugging them to in-seat power supply systems that airlines provide, the report says.
In October this year, a passenger's power bank reportedly caught fire while an IndiGo flight to Dimapur was taxiing for departure from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. No one was injured, and the fire was quickly extinguished by the cabin crew.
What do the new rules say?
The DGCA has instructed that airlines must report all lithium battery-related incidents to the aviation watchdog. The DGCA has ordered airlines to make inflight announcements about the new rules related to power banks and charging portable devices inflight. The new rules say passengers need to “immediately inform cabin crew if any device emits heat, smoke or an unusual odour". The airlines must “promptly report all safety issues and occurrences related to lithium battery incidents to DGCA”, the rules state.
“The widespread usage of lithium batteries in various rechargeable devices has led to an increase in carriage of lithium batteries by air. Power banks, portable chargers, and similar devices containing lithium batteries can act as ignition sources and potentially initiate on-board fires. Lithium batteries placed in overhead stowage bins or within carry-on baggage may be obscured, difficult to access, or not readily monitored by passengers or crew members. This may result in delayed detection of smoke or fire and response actions, increasing the potential hazard to flight safety," the new DGCA circular says.
Lithium battery fires are very “energetic” and can cause PEDs to explode. “A lithium battery fire can be started by uncontrolled heating, overcharging, crushing or internal short circuit triggered by poor manufacturing quality, aged batteries or damage due to mishandling. Unlike other fires, lithium battery fires may be self-sustaining and require special methods to handle. The general preventive measures to minimise risks of lithium battery fire may include minimising possibilities of heating of devices; early detection in case of fire; and reinforcement of effectiveness of firefighting procedures,” it adds.
Last year, Emirates Airlines banned the use of power banks on all its flights. Passengers are now only permitted to carry power banks rated below 100 watt-hours, and are strictly prohibited from charging them or using them to power mobile devices on board. In a similar directive, the Singapore Airlines also implemented a policy in April last year, forbidding any use or charging of power banks mid-flight. Many other carriers, including Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways, have also restricted where passengers can store power banks.
What did the aviation experts say?
Aviation experts have warned airlines to strictly enforce the one-hand-bag-per-passenger rule following safety concerns. They say this is important because batteries and power banks are not allowed in checked luggage. However, when overhead bins are full, airlines often collect passengers’ hand baggage at boarding gates or aerobridges and place it in the aircraft’s cargo hold. These handbags may contain portable electronic devices and power banks, which can pose a safety risk if stored in the belly of the aircraft.
“This defeats the purpose of not allowing batteries in check-in bags. A battery catching fire in the baggage hold, remaining undetected, and then spreading can have serious consequences. The issue of how many cabin bags flyers carry onboard needs to be tackled either by airlines on their own. And if they can’t do so, rules need to be in place to ensure lithium batteries do not make it to the baggage hold,” a senior pilot told TOI.
