PASSENGERS risk having a common item confiscated from them at the airport if it is missing vital information.
Portable chargers and power banks are for many a travel essential, and can be incredibly useful for ensuring that your cell phone doesn’t die whilst you’re away from home.
However, they are subject to strict regulations, that travelers must be aware of before taking flights.
The TSA recently banned airline users from packing power banks or lithium batteries in checked luggage, following a series of fires and explosions.
The TSA website states: “Portable chargers or power banks containing a lithium ion battery must be packed in carry-on bags.
“Spare lithium batteries, which include both power banks and phone chargers, are prohibited in checked luggage.”
Passengers are still able to place portable chargers in carry-on bags, but only if they meet strict requirements.
The strict rules include:
The battery must be under 100 watt-hours (Wh) unless the airline gives explicit approval Power banks must have a clearly visible label showing its watt-hour rating Unlabelled, oversized or suspicious looking chargers risk being confiscated Carrying multiple devices may result in additional screeningMany chargers sold online fail to list the watt-hour specifications, with some missing labelling entirely.
If TSA agents are unable to verify the size of your battery, they may confiscate it entirely.
Travelers have been taking to social media to share reports of TSA agents questioning them on power banks that they previously haven’t had any issues with.
USB lighters, heated jackets, and some laptop charging cases have also been raising the concerns of TSA staff.
To ensure that you are allowed to fly with your power bank, make sure to stick to trusted brands, with TSA-compliant specs.
However, some airlines have even stricter rules than the TSA.
Strict Airline Rules
Southwest Airlines recently became the first US airline to require passengers to keep portable chargers “in plain sight”, instead of in cabin bags.
Which items are affected?
The affected lithium batteries banned by the TSA include:
Power banks Cell phone battery charging cases Rechargeable and non-rechargeable lithium batteries Cell phone batteries Laptop batteries External batteries Portable rechargersThe airline explained that keeping these items in full view makes it easier for crew members to intervene in case the lithium-ion batteries overheat or catch fire.
“Southwest will introduce a first-in-industry Safety policy on May 28 requiring customers to keep portable charging devices visible while in use during flight,” a statement from the airline said.
“Using portable charging devices while stored in a bag or overhead bin will no longer be permitted.
“Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees.”
Back in January, an Air Busan flight in South Korea with nearly 180 passengers was evacuated after a fire broke out before takeoff.
South Korea’s transport ministry revealed that the blaze was caused by a power bank with deteriorated insulation.
The airline subsequently banned the gadget from cabin bags, with passengers forced to keep them on their person at all times.
Lo Kok-keung, a retried engineering professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, told the South China Morning Post on the dangers of power banks on planes.
He said: “If it creates a short circuit it can create a high temperature and burn the internal materials and create a fire which can burn clothing in the baggage.”
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