T'way Joins Ban... All 11 Korean Airlines Fully Halt In-Flight Use of Power Banks

T'way Air is imposing a complete ban on charging with power banks on board its aircraft. As a result, all 11 airlines operating passenger flights in Korea are now restricting the use of power banks in the cabin.

On January 26, a Hanjin-affiliated airline banned the use of portable batteries on board. Yonhap News Agency

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According to the airline industry on February 20, T'way Air has notified passengers that, starting on February 23, it will prohibit both charging power banks in the cabin and using power banks to charge other electronic devices such as mobile phones during flights.

If passengers need to charge electronic devices, they must use the seat power ports, and on aircraft types without such ports they are being advised to fully charge their devices before boarding. However, carrying power banks into the cabin is still allowed. Instead, to prevent short circuits, passengers must either apply insulating tape to the terminals or store each power bank individually in a plastic bag or separate pouch. Storage locations are also restricted to places where cabin crew can immediately check them, such as the seat-back pocket.

Previously, Eastar Jet implemented a trial ban on the in-flight use of power banks for three months starting in October last year, and then officially introduced the ban this year. Jeju Air followed, putting the measure into effect from January 22.

The five Hanjin Group-affiliated airlines - Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Air Busan, and Air Seoul - also joined the ban starting on January 26.

In addition, Air Premia and Aero K have banned in-flight use of power banks since February 1 this year, while Parata Airlines has prohibited their use on board since it began operations in September last year.

A notice outlining the procedures for carrying portable batteries onboard has been posted at Gimhae International Airport. Yonhap News

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These measures by airlines are a response to a series of recent fire incidents involving power banks. In January last year, an Air Busan passenger aircraft was completely destroyed after a fire broke out from a power bank in the cabin while the plane was preparing for takeoff at Gimhae International Airport.

Similar cases have continued since then. In October last year, an Air China passenger jet made an emergency landing at Shanghai Pudong International Airport due to a power bank fire, and in January this year there were reported cases of ignition and smoke from power banks on flights operated by Asiana Airlines and T'way Air.

Overseas airlines are also taking similar steps. Lufthansa has completely banned the use of power banks in the cabin since January 15, and Emirates has done so since October last year. Japan is likewise pushing a plan to ban the use of power banks on flights departing from Japan starting in April.

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