Power banks on flights under scanner after fire scare: What flyers should know

India’s aviation regulator is reviewing global practices on carrying and using power banks onboard flights, amid growing concerns over lithium battery-related fire incidents and increasing restrictions by airlines and regulators worldwide, sources told Business Today TV.

“DGCA is reviewing global aviation practices. No decision has been taken yet on prohibiting passengers from carrying power banks,” a person familiar with the matter said.

The review comes days after an IndiGo flight at Chandigarh Airport was evacuated after a power bank reportedly caught fire inside the aircraft shortly after landing. Smoke filled the cabin during passenger disembarkation, triggering panic onboard. Airport officials said six passengers sustained minor injuries, while others were evacuated safely.

The incident has renewed scrutiny over the risks posed by lithium-ion batteries during flights, especially inside aircraft cabins, where overheating devices can rapidly become a safety hazard.

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India had already tightened rules earlier this year. In a ‘Dangerous Goods Advisory Circular’ issued in January, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) barred passengers from using power banks to charge phones or other electronic devices during flights, including through aircraft seat power outlets.

The regulator also directed that power banks and spare lithium batteries must only be carried in hand baggage and cannot be stored in overhead compartments, citing concerns that fires in such locations are difficult to detect and control quickly.

“The widespread usage of lithium batteries in various rechargeable devices has led to an increase in the carriage of lithium batteries by air. Power banks, portable chargers, and similar devices containing lithium batteries can act as ignition sources and potentially initiate onboard fires,” the DGCA had said in its advisory.

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The regulator had further warned that lithium battery fires can be highly energetic and, in some cases, self-sustaining, making them difficult to extinguish.

India’s review comes amid a broader global tightening of norms around portable chargers and lithium battery-powered devices.
In March, the International Civil Aviation Organization advised that portable chargers should remain within passengers’ reach and should not be charged onboard aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration already bars such devices from checked luggage and restricts passengers to carrying portable chargers only in cabin baggage.

Several international airlines have also adopted stricter norms. United Airlines prohibits passengers from storing portable chargers in overhead bins, while airlines in Japan and South Korea have reportedly banned the in-flight use of portable chargers altogether.

Officials said the DGCA is now assessing whether additional safeguards are required as passenger dependence on battery-powered devices continues to grow.

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