Ryan Hans / Android Authority
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- Southwest Airlines passengers will need to be seen at the portable chargers at all times when the use of passengers.
- The new policy is in force on May 28.
- This is the first US airline to update its rules, but several Asian airlines have already done so following the increasing concerns of lithium -ion battery fire in the aircraft.
As Memorial Day is approaching fast, it means that everyone is getting ready for their summer holidays. But if you are flying southwest soon, then you need to be aware of a major change of policy in its flights in relation to daily need: portable chargers.
From May 28, passengers for Southwest Airlines will need to use any portable chargers, including batteries, including power bank and phone battery issues, so as to keep them in straight eyes. While living in use. This means that no one can place an active portable charger under the overhead bins or even the seat in the bag – when they use it all the time during the flight.
Although South West is the first American airline to update its rules about portable chargers, it is possible to follow the other airlines. It is important to note that this new rule only applies when the battery is connected and actively charges another device. Southwest told Gizmudo If the battery can stay in your Carrien bag if it is not in charge of another device.
Several Asian airlines already have similar policies with regard to portable batteries and chargers. The reasoning of the new rules is a cause for concern over the lithium -ion battery fire on the aircraft.
Joe Mark / Android Authority
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, 22 certified incidents have occurred this year, including lithium -ion batteries, and a record 89 in 2024, which is increasing. Since 2006, there have been a total of 620 incidents, and the above culprit includes lithium -ion batteries or battery packs, followed by Wapang devices and then cellular phones.
In January, an airbuser plane was set on fire that was burned from the roof of the plane while it was preparing to take off, under which all 176 people on the plane had to be evacuated. Although the origin of this particular fire has not been confirmed, several Asian Airlines and Korean regulators then updated the rules about portable chargers. Some Asian airlines are very tight with this principle, such as Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways, who have banned the use or charge of power banks during flight.
In 2024, a laptop smoke was seen coming from a passenger bag on a flight from San Francisco. In 2023, another flight from Dallas to Orlando, Florida had to make an emergency stop in Jackson Will, causing a battery to fire due to a battery.
Currently, TSA has banned both rechargeable and irreparable lithium batteries for phone and laptops in the checked bag, but has allowed passengers to keep them in their luggage. But with the new principle of the southwest, they will now need to be out of the bag and visible when using it in flight.
If you are on the flight and look at some fires, it is wise to inform the flight staff. Finally, the cabin is trained to identify and respond to the lithium battery fire (or other problems).
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