After a spate of power bank fires, the FAA says airlines need to be stricter about passengers’ batteries on planes

More airlines could clamp down on power banks after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a safety alert on Tuesday.

It cited FAA data showing 50 lithium-battery incidents this year involving smoke, fire, or extreme heat.

So, the regulator recommended that airlines review their firefighting processes and safety messaging to passengers.

That includes educating travelers about the risks of lithium batteries, and ensuring that passengers and crew carry them “in locations where a potential thermal runaway is visible and accessible.”

Lithium batteries power portable chargers, laptops, and phones. If overcharged or damaged, they can result in thermal runaway, where the temperature rapidly increases in a chain reaction.

In the US, devices with lithium batteries are already banned from checked luggage — but airlines have started to implement stricter rules for carry-ons, too.

Southwest Airlines announced in May that passengers would no longer be able to use portable charging devices while stored in bags or overhead bins.

Keeping the device in plain sight makes it easier for flight attendants to identify any smoke or fire and react quickly to extinguish it.

A Southwest flight had to divert the day after the new rules were introduced because a passenger’s battery charger started to smoke.

Dubai-based Emirates is planning some of the strictest rules.

From October 1, its passengers won’t be allowed to charge devices with power banks, which must be stored in the seat pocket or a bag under the seat in front.

The industry has become more wary of the risks since an incident in South Korea in January.

An Air Busan plane was about to take off when a fire spread through the cabin, destroying the plane and injuring 27 people.

Investigators later said the fire was likely caused by a power bank, and the Korean government tightened its rules for airlines.

Last month, an American Airlines passenger was injured when their cellphone overheated and emitted smoke, delaying the flight from Madrid to Dallas, the FAA said.

The regulator isn’t just focusing on passenger airlines, either. Last Friday, the FAA announced it was proposing over $300,000 in civil penalties against three companies, alleging they didn’t declare shipments of lithium batteries as dangerous goods.

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