Emirates becomes the biggest airline to crack down on power banks, after a fire underscored the danger

Emirates has become the latest and largest airline to crack down on power banks.

The Dubai-based carrier announced Friday that using such devices will be prohibited on board its flights, starting October 1.

Though many other airlines have cracked down on the use of power banks after one caught fire on a flight in January, Emirates’ rules are among the strictest.

Passengers won’t be allowed to charge devices with power banks, nor charge a power bank itself using a plane’s outlets.

They’re also only allowed one, which must be under 100 Wh, and stored in the seat pocket or a bag under the seat in front, not the overhead bin.

It joins Southwest Airlines, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways, among others. Authorities in Hong Kong and South Korea have also instituted rules about power banks on planes.

Why airlines are cracking down on power banks

On any airline, power banks must be carried in the cabin and not left in checked baggage, so cabin crew can intervene quickly to stop a fire from getting out of control.

The dangers were spotlighted in January, when an Air Busan Airbus A321 caught fire before takeoff in South Korea. All 176 people aboard survived, but 27 were injured.

Investigators said the fire was likely caused by a power bank, and the South Korean government announced stricter rules around their usage.

Emirates said on Friday: “There has been a significant growth in customers using power banks in recent years, resulting in an increasing number of lithium battery-related incidents on board flights across the wider aviation industry.”

In May, a Southwest plane was forced to divert when a customer’s battery charger overheated on a flight from Baltimore to Tampa.

It occurred just 24 hours after the airline instituted new rules requiring customers to keep power banks visible while in use.

The Southwest flight attendants followed procedures and put the device in a containment bag. The plane landed safely in South Carolina, where passengers had to wait five hours before continuing their journey on a new plane.

Power banks are particularly risky because of their lithium batteries. If overcharged or damaged, it can result in thermal runaway, leading to rapid temperature increase.

Unlike phones and laptops, many power banks don’t have safeguards against this.

Emirates has the fourth-largest network in the world by seat miles, behind only the US’s Big Three. Its decision suggests more airlines could follow suit.

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