[News Today] IN-FLIGHT POWER BANK RULES

[LEAD]
Following a fire on an Air Busan plane at Gimhae Airport in late January, stricter rules for carrying batteries are now in effect starting this month. Lithium-ion batteries must be secured in plastic bags. Passengers must also seek airline approval for more than five small batteries.

[REPORT]
"Please cover the charging terminals of power banks with insulation tape."

The capacity and quantity of power banks carried by passengers are now inspected during check-ins.

Kim Hye-ji/ Korean Air
One battery is allowed per zipper bag. If you have six or more batteries, you must get permission and attach stickers.

To prevent fires, portable chargers must be placed in plastic bags and only five batteries per passenger are permitted.

Those who need more power banks for medical reasons must obtain permission from their airline and mark them with green stickers.

As for large-capacity power banks, only two units are allowed per passenger and they must be marked with yellow stickers received from the airline company.

Lim Hee-chan / Yongin resident
The accident made me realize that we should carry our portable chargers with us at all times.

Power banks with larger-than-permitted capacity or those without the required stickers are discarded at the scene or must be sent back home.

On February 28th, when the new rules were implemented on a pilot basis at Incheon International Airport, 180 cases of violations were detected in just one single day.

Lee Hag-jae / CEO, Incheon Int’l Airport Corporation
I urge you to keep your power banks in plastic bags, prepare them at home.
We have prepared many plastic bags at our airport as well.

Under the new rules, passengers are prohibited from storing their lithium-ion power banks in overhead storage bins.

Connecting the power banks to in-flight power supplies or other batteries are also prohibited.