AN airline has became the first in the world to ban passengers from packing a popular travel gadget in their hand luggage.
Korean airline, Air Busan, now prohibits travellers from carrying power banks in their onboard lugagge after an aircraft caught fire on the runway last month.
Passengers were horrified after the blaze broke out on an Air Busan flight to Hong Kong on January 28. The fire, which ignited in the tail section of the aircraft, resulted in 170 passengers and crew to evacuate.
An investigation is underway to find out the cause of the fire, however it’s believed it may have been a power bank.
As a precaution, the airline announced the tech ban. Lo Kok-keung, a retried engineering professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, spoke to South China Morning Post about the changes.
He said: “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.”
Passengers will be forced to keep them on their person at all times, or in their underseat bag but they will be told to remove them from any bags going into the overhead lockers.
At present, the majority of well-known airlines already prohibit power banks being carried in any checked luggage going into the hold, however many still allow small ones in the cabin.
It is unclear if other airline will follow in Air Busan’s footsteps.
Ryanair currently has rules and regulations around batteries. The carrier said: “Customers can carry a maximum of two spare lithium ion batteries in carry-on baggage and these must be individually protected to prevent short circuits.”
Last month a blaze broke out on Air Busan flight to Hong Kong while still at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea. The fire, which ignited in the tail section of the aircraft, resulted in 170 passengers and crew to evacuate.
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter.