Power bank safety rules in effect for air travel.

New power bank rules, which went into effect on 3/1/2025, are slowly rolling out – with plans for eventual individual inspection and approval to carry. In January 2025, a malfunctioning power bank was likely responsible for a fire on an Air Busan flight.

Signage at Incheon Airport

At Incheon Airport, there are information tables setup next to each security checkpoint for departing passengers. Here, they offer details of this safety rollout and provide plastic bags to safely seal your batteries.

Battery carry-on information

While there are plans for airlines to inspect and place approval stickers on power banks, that hasn’t rolled out just yet. Also, plans to require your power banks to be placed in the inspection tray at the security checkpoint will also soon rollout (see signage below).

At the security checkpoint

Lastly, once on the plane, passengers are required to keep their power banks in the front seat or in their bags placed below the seat (not in overhead baggage). E-cigarettes are also banned from overhead bins.

Plastic bags provided for power banks

Vocabulary:

Fire prevention and safety

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