Airline Issues First Ever Ban Of Common Travel Item After Fire Destroys Plane

An airline is putting its foot down and becoming the first to ban a popular travel item in the process. That's right, there's some new regulations on charging power banks if you're traveling with Air Busan.

This comes after a portable charger stored in the overhead storage bin caused a fire that destroyed one of the airline's passenger jets. Officials believed a lithium battery in the charging bank caused the fire. Now, Air Busan is banning charging power banks from carryons, according to Reuters.

They'll be checking travelers' bags too. The South Korean airline announced plans to check all carry-on luggage at the gates before allowing passengers to board. This is to prevent passengers from storing power banks in overhead bins. Currently, any devices with lithium batteries are already banned from being put in checked bags. This is to reduce the risk of fires.

Airline Bans Item

Fortunately, you can still bring your portable chargers on the airline. You just have to keep them with you so that you'll notice if they're overheating or catching fire. This comes after a fire caused a plane to burn down in Hong Kong. A flight attendant noticed the blaze from the overhead bin and evacuated the plane.

Lithium batteries have been an issue for a hile now. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notes a 388% surge in fires over the past 10 years related to the batteries.

A new report from UL Standards has warned travelers about how to travel with devices carrying the batteries.

It read, "Lithium-ion batteries, while efficient and widely used, can present safety hazards if damaged, improperly charged, poorly manufactured, or counterfeit. Devices containing these batteries should not be stored in checked luggage. Instead, keeping all lithium-ion battery-powered devices within arm's reach can sharply reduce the risk of an incident occurring. Devices powered by lithium-ion batteries are generally safest in the hands of the owner, in the cabin of the aircraft where the device can be observed for signs of thermal runaway such as heat and smoke. If these signs are noticed early, airline crews have procedures to contain the device."