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Nationwide Ban on In‑Flight Power Bank Use for Passenger Airlines Enhances Flight Security In South Korea: Everything You Need to Know
As part of new safety policies aimed at promoting greater safety, all domestic and international airlines in South Korea have banned the use of power banks on flights. These policies are a consequence of the airline’s safety measures and have primarily been implemented due to the increased risk of lithium battery fires on board the aircraft.
The new policies also restrict passengers’ ability to use power banks to charge their personal electronic devices on board the aircraft. While passengers are still permitted to carry the devices onto the aircraft, specific and stringent policies on the devices have been implemented to ensure the items are not in danger of catching fire due to the use of lithium batteries.
Ban on Power Banks on South Korean Airlines
As of February 2023, all South Korean passenger airline companies have instituted a power bank prohibition policy on their airline services, including both full-service and low-cost airlines.
The first adopters in this case include some low-cost airlines, as low-cost airlines first experimented with in-flight restrictions for safety reasons. After those initial steps, other major players, including the national carriers and their affiliates, have taken steps to standardize their cabin policies to include complete bans on the use of portable power banks on board.
Passenger and Safety Protocols
While the presence of power banks in carry-on bags is permitted, the policy stipulates that they must not be placed in the overhead compartments. Rather, they should be kept in the seat compartment in the airplane seat back, or on the floor near their feet and kept at hand’s reach. Moreover, passengers must ensure that any exposed metal terminals on the batteries are covered with insulating tape or stored in individual pouches to prevent the occurrence of short circuits.
These initiatives are in response to the risk of undetected battery malfunction, including thermal runaway, when the device is stored outside the view of the device owner. This is a very risky situation due to the limited space in the airplane cabin.
Context: Safety Incidents and Regulatory Response
Recent years have seen their fair share of industry/government reactions to policy shifts concerning battery fires. One major example is an aircraft fire at a South Korean international airport. Preliminary investigations determined a portable battery pack caught fire in an aircraft cabin. This led aviation authorities and airline executives to revise and fortify policies regarding the safe transport of lithium-ion batteries for the safety of employees and patrons.
All global aviation authorities, including transport ministries and aviation safety boards of the countries, consider and revise policies regarding the transport of lithium batteries as the risks of today’s modern consumer electronics grow and change. Revised Korean policies are a reflection of the global policies concerning the transport of lithium-ion batteries and the safety of in-flight protocols.
Implementation Strategy and Passenger Awareness
All airline stakeholders have commenced implementing policies concerning in-flight battery use and are obliged to inform passengers. This is reflected in the policies and procedures of each airline, the airline website, the airline mobile application, the airport check-in counter, at the boarding announcement, at the digital boarding announcement, and in the digital boarding announcement as a message immediately prior to the commencement of the boarding process. Passengers are notified of the new safety standards and the need to comply prior to the commencement of the boarding process.
Crew members of the affected flights received additional training to assist with consistent policy enforcement and assist passenger understanding of the appropriate ways to manage power banks and similar devices during flights.
South Korea and Aviation Safety
South Korea’s policy shift shows the importance of safety in all aspects of the aviation industry when it comes to cabin safety and the risks of portable electronic devices and lithium-ion batteries. With international documented incidents of portable electronic devices overheating and burning, airline companies in other parts of the world have implemented, and are still implementing, the same restrictions and safety policy guidance.
As electronic devices become more important for both business and leisure purposes, both the airlines and the safety regulators are trying to find a happy medium between convenience and safety regulations. This ban highlights the risks the aviation industry is trying to mitigate with both regulation and coordination.
Passengers should ensure that they are prepared for the South Korean airline regulations and restrictions to ensure a low-hassle trip and simple use of the airline services.
The post Nationwide Ban on In‑Flight Power Bank Use for Passenger Airlines Enhances Flight Security In South Korea: Everything You Need to Know appeared first on Travel And Tour World.
