Ban soon on power banks inside Indian flights? discussions ongoing

NEW DELHI: The government is poised to impose restrictions on carrying power banks on flights. This comes in the wake of incidents of lithium battery fires during recent flights. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is seeking technical advice in this regard. A passenger's power bank caught fire on a Delhi-Dimapur IndiGo flight on Sunday. The incident occurred while the plane was taxiing at the Delhi airport. Last week, a passenger's power bank exploded on an Air China flight to South Korea.

Foreign airlines have strict restrictions on power banks. Some airlines recommend keeping the power bank in your seat pocket or in a bag stowed under your seat. Dubai-based Emirates and Singapore Airlines have also imposed restrictions on carrying power banks. Although power banks with a capacity of up to 100 watts can be carried, charging them on board is prohibited.

Most phones and devices that use lithium batteries have an internal system that pumps a small amount of electricity into the battery to prevent overcharging. However, most power banks do not have this safety feature.