(Melbourne, November 21) Major Australian airlines will begin banning the use of power banks or charging power banks on flights next month to reduce the risk of cabin fires. These safety measures will apply to all domestic and international flights without exemptions.
According to new regulations announced on Friday (November 21), Virgin Australia passengers will be required to keep their power banks in an easily accessible location throughout the flight from December 1st, and will not be allowed to place them in the overhead luggage compartment.
Passengers may only use the power outlets or USB ports on their seats to charge electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops, and headphones, but are not allowed to charge power banks or use power banks to charge electronic devices.
Qantas and its subsidiary QantasLink, as well as Jetstar, will implement similar measures from December 15th.
These airlines also limit each passenger to a maximum of two power banks, each with a rated capacity of no more than 160 watt-hours. Virgin Australia further stipulates that passengers must obtain prior approval from the airline to carry power banks with a rated capacity of less than 160 watt-hours but greater than 100 watt-hours.
Further Reading
The previous rule prohibiting the check-in of power banks remains unchanged.
Due to previous incidents of power banks catching fire in overhead luggage compartments, several international airlines, including Emirates, Cathay Pacific, and Korean Air, have banned the use of power banks on their flights.
Singapore Airlines and its subsidiary Scoot have also banned passengers from using or charging power banks in the cabin since April 1st.
