SIA, Scoot to ban use and charging of power banks on flights from April
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SIA said its customers may carry power banks with a capacity of up to 100Wh on its planes without special approval.
PHOTO: ST FILE
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SINGAPORE – Passengers aboard Singapore Airlines (SIA) or Scoot flights will not be allowed to use power banks to charge their personal devices from April 1.
In a Facebook post on March 12, SIA said that passengers will also not be allowed to charge portable power banks via on-board USB ports throughout the duration of the flight, citing safety reasons for the move.
“The SIA Group complies with the International Air Transport Association’s Dangerous Goods Regulations regarding the carriage of power banks, which are classified as lithium batteries,” said SIA. “This means power banks must be carried in cabin baggage on all SIA flights and are not permitted in checked baggage.”
It added that its customers may carry power banks with a capacity of up to 100 watt-hour (Wh) on its planes without special approval, while those between 100Wh and 160Wh require airline approval.
Scoot, the budget arm of SIA, also released a similar statement on its Facebook page.
In 2023, two passengers aboard a Scoot flight set for take-off from Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan for Singapore were injured after a power bank overheated and caught fire
SIA’s decision comes after several in-flight cabin fire incidents across the world, with airlines such as Thai Airways, AirAsia
Earlier in March, a video from a passenger aboard a Batik Air flight showed the plane’s cabin filled with smoke
In January, an Air Busan plane caught fire while preparing for departure at Gimhae International Airport in South Korea. The incident was also reportedly caused by a power bank
In 2024, three incidents of overheating lithium batteries on planes a fortnight were recorded globally by the US Federal Aviation Administration
According to SIA’s website, rechargeable battery packs, also known as power banks, are treated as spare lithium batteries, which are not allowed in checked-in baggage and must be carried as cabin baggage.
More details on baggage restrictions are available on SIA’s website
