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Emirates announced that the use of any kind of portable, rechargeable power bank will be banned from its flights, starting in October. This new rule is an addition to a pre-existing rule that power banks were not permitted in checked luggage.The company states that there has been an increasing number of lithium battery-related incidents onboard flights across the wider aviation industry. If the battery in power bank is damaged or overheated, it could uncontrollably increase in temperature when in use and cause fire, explosions, and the release of toxic gases. While more sophisticated ones have safeguards against this problem, basic power banks do not.
The new regulations Emirates customers will have to follow include:
Emirates customers may carry one power bank that is under 100 Watt Hours.
Power banks may not be used to charge any personal devices onboard.
Charging a power bank using the aircraft's power supply is not permitted.
All power banks accepted for transport must have capacity rating information available.
Power banks may not be placed in the overhead stowage bin onboard the aircraft and must now be placed in the seat pocket or in a bag under the seat in front of you.
The new regulations on the use and storage of power banks are to ensure that the risk of a fire is mitigated and that, in the case it does happen, trained cabin crew can quickly respond and extinguish the fire.
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