Rules for portable batteries on planes are changing

Some airlines in Asia are tightening restrictions. You may have to repack or turn off batteries before boarding flights with certain carriers

- YAN ZHUANG

Korean airlines must keep their portable chargers within arm's reach and out of overhead bins. The government implemented the rule to ease anxiety about the risk of battery fires, the Transportation Ministry said.

Some Taiwanese airlines implemented similar changes that also took effect on March 1. EVA Air and China Airlines announced a ban on using or charging power banks on their planes, although the batteries can still be stored in overhead compartments.

Thai Airways, Thailand's flagship airline, announced that it would implement a similar ban. The airline cited "incidents of in-flight fires on international airlines, suspected to be linked to power bank usage." Since 2016, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations agency that coordinates global aviation regulations, has banned lithium-ion batteries, the kind commonly found in power banks, from the cargo holds of passenger planes.

But there is no industry standard on how airlines regulate power banks, said Mitchell Fox, the director of the Asia Pacific Center for Aviation Safety.

They have become a part of everyday life only in recent years, and some consumers may be unaware of the risks, he said. "When you have an emerging issue, it takes a while for everyone to catch on."