Short: Recruitment batteries are so ubiquitous that passengers airplanes usually carry hundreds of hundreds per flying, but recent events have exposed the danger that they can present when exposed to extreme conditions. Airlines have begun to take more care, but have not agreed to general standards, causing a possible misleading situation for continuous international flights.
In many Asian countries, Airlines recently introduced new rules about a rechargeable battery after destroying an aircraft in South Korea. Each airline replied differently, highlighting the absence of shared standards.
Since March 1, not all South Korean Airlines is in overhead compartments but not with passengers to keep power banks and e-cigarettes. In addition, passengers cannot charge the battery on the board, they should be taken into a clear plastic bag, limited to five 100Wh batteries, and cannot bring more than 160Wh batteries.
This change is to remove public concerns after the January 1 incident, in which a fire surrounded an Air Busan aircraft at Incheon International Airport. All 170 passengers safely evacuated the flight, but the aircraft was total. Although no evidence definitely connects the fire to a battery, an investigation indicated that it started in an overhead compartment.
Flights often have hundreds of rechargeable batteries because most passengers carry at least one electronic device. A bus suffering from a defect can cause a battery or crushing can cause smoke or fire, putting the entire flight in danger. Although passengers can empty an aircraft on the ground, the crew should usually respond to in-flight events by extinguishing the fire, spraying liquid on the battery, and storing them into containers.
New South Korean rules came into force on the same day, Taiwan’s Airlines Eva Air and China Airlines banned power banks on their aircraft, but both still allow batteries in overhead coaches. Thai Airways will also ban power banks starting on March 15.
📢 Important Declaration | Thai Airways
Following the incidence of in-Flight fire on international airlines, the power bank is suspected of being associated with use, Thai Airways International Public Company Limited has introduced new security measures.
From March 15, 2025, the use of power … pic.twitter.com/o8YLHJTS8n
– Thai Airways (@Thayairways) March 7, 2025
Although the rechargeable battery has been common on airplanes for years, the events that have been involved in them have happened more often. Last July, a laptop set fire to an American Airlines flight in San Francisco, forcing passengers to evacuate and cause injuries.
Laptops on aircraft are already banned for hand accessories and may not have more than 100Wh batteries, which have affected manufacturing trends. The lithium-ion battery has also long been banned from passenger aircraft cargo hold and should be below 30 percent on cargo aircraft.
