More major airlines ban passengers taking popular items on planes

Two airlines are introducing bans on a common travel item, following the lead of other major airlines.

The bans are a heightened measure to ensure the safety of passengers following previous lithium battery-related incidents. Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air are the latest air carriers to ban the use of power banks and portable chargers.

The new regulations mean passengers will no longer be able to use power banks while onboard a flight. The new ban also prohibits passengers from charging their power banks using the inflight ports.

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From now on, passengers are required to remove power banks from their carry-on luggage prior to boarding and keep them in a visible location throughout the flight.

That said, Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air passengers are still permitted to carry power banks on to aircrafts in limited quantities. But power banks are strictly prohibited in checked luggage.

The ban is a result of growing concerns over the safety of lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteriesonboard aircrafts. These batteries are highly sensitive to heat, impact and rapid changes in air pressure.

Because of this sensitivity, there is a heightened risk of battery malfunctions, including short circuits, overheating, and in severe cases, fire or explosion.

These dangers are amplified when batteries are stored in the cargo hold, which is less closely monitored and where temperature and pressure can fluctuate dramatically. This is why power banks are banned outright from checked luggage.

Devices with a capacity of up to 100 watt-hours (Wh) are allowed in quantities of up to ten per passenger. For larger power banks, with capacities between 100 and 160 Wh, the limit is two per person.

Any power bank that exceeds 160 Wh is not permitted on board under any circumstances. Both Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet insist passengers check the specifications of their devices before travelling.

In addition to the new ban, the airlines also introduced new heat-resistant gloves and fire- containment bags onboard.

Air Busan banned the use of power banks onboard after a fire broke out on one of their flights this past January. The Air Busan plane caught fire at Gimhae International Airport on January 28—causing three people on board to sustain minor injuries.

Following the incident, South Korea's transport ministry said that interim investigation results indicated the fire may have started because insulation inside a power bank battery had broken down.

Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Singapore Airlines and multiple other airlines have also introduced new power bank regulations over this year.