Hong Kong will ban airline passengers from using or charging portable power banks on airlines based in the Chinese territory following an incident aboard a Hong Kong Airlines flight last week in which a fire broke out in an overhead locker after a passenger’s power bank overheated.
In a statement, the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) said it was “highly concerned” about a slew of recent incidents involving portable power banks and other electronic devices powered by lithium batteries aboard a number of airlines around the world.
Perhaps the most serious incident involved an Air Busan Airbus A321 jet, which was preparing for departure at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, in January when a passenger’s power bank overheated and started a fire in January.
The flames quickly spread and filled with smoke as passengers rushed to evacuate the aircraft onto the tarmac. Seven passengers and crew sustained injuries during the evacuation, as well as from smoke inhalation, while the aircraft was completely gutted by fire.
In the wake of that dramatic incident, South Korea quickly banned passengers from placing power banks in overhead lockers so that they can be continuously monitored and prompt action taken if they overheat.
A number of major international carriers have, however, taken even more stringent measures due to the rising risk of portable fire banks causing a potentially catastrophic inflight fire.
From April 1, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines will prohibit passengers from placing portable banks in overhead lockers and ban them from either using power banks to charge their own devices or using the in-seat power supply to charge the power bank.
The new order from Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department effectively mimics these rules, although the new regulations won’t come into effect until April 7.
“The CAD met with representatives from local airlines last Friday (March 21) and issued a new notice today (March 24) to update the requirements and regulations for local airlines regarding passengers carrying and using power banks, with a view to further enhancing aviation safety,” the agency said in a statement.
“Starting from April 7, local airlines should not allow their passengers to use power banks to charge other portable electronic devices and/or recharge power banks during flight. Stowage of power banks in the overhead compartments is also prohibited with the same effective date,” the statement continued.
The regulations will primarily affect Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Airlines, as well as Greater Bay Airlines and low-cost carrier HK Express. Airlines not based in Hong Kong but which fly to the territory will not be subject to the new rules.
Airlines are increasingly concerned about the risk of lithium battery-powered devices overheating, especially if they get lost in a seat and are then damaged by the seat movement.
Over the weekend, an Air France flight from Paris Orly even diverted back to the French capital after a mobile phone was lost onboard. After a desperate search to find the missing cellphone, the pilots decided it was too risky to fly over the Atlantic Ocean with a potentially damaged lithium battery nowhere to be found.
The Boeing 777, with hundreds of passengers onboard, returned to Paris, where engineers could dismantle a seat and retrieve the errant mobile phone before clearing the plane to continue on its journey.
