Overview

• A January power-bank fire aboard an Air Busan A321 prompted safety reviews after onboard flames were linked to a damaged battery.
• In March, South Korean carriers barred in-flight charging and device connections, required power-banks in separate reachable pouches, and capped carriage at five units per passenger.
• Singapore Airlines, China Airlines and, from May 28, Southwest Airlines implemented similar measures enforcing visible, hand-carried power-banks.
• This week, Lufthansa and Eurowings joined the initiative, instituting hand-luggage checks, banning onboard charging and capping battery capacity under IATA standards.
• The guidelines restrict lithium-metal batteries to two grams of lithium (eight grams with airline approval) and lithium-ion packs to 100 Wh (160 Wh with approval) per passenger.