Singapore Airlines & Scoot Ban On-Board Power Bank Use From April 1, 2025

[Beano]

Fires originally attributed to elecric car batteries were subsequently proven to be unfounded. Perhaps the same with powerbanks! My IT department recommends completely switching of a laptop and not just putting it to sleep because they say the battery could overheat. Is that another source if fires?

 

[serfty]

Fires originally attributed to elecric car batteries were subsequently proven to be unfounded.

Some were, but there are indeed proven incidents.

Understanding electric vehicle fires: A comprehensive guide | Advice and How-to | Open Road | The NRMA

Any new technology can come with concerning risks and challenges. However, you’ll be glad to know that EV battery fires are very rare.

www.mynrma.com.au

 

[Beano]

Fires originally attributed to elecric car batteries were subsequently proven to be unfounded. Perhaps the same with powerbanks! My IT department recommends completely switching off a laptop and not just putting it to sleep because they say the battery could overheat. Is that another source if fires?

 

[Ktan89]

Panic As Flight Attendants Scramble to Extnguish Fire in Overhead Locker of Hong Kong-Bound Flight; Power Bank Likely Culprit

Flight attendants on a Hong Kong Airlines flight from the Chinese city of Hangzhou on Thursday rushed to put out a fire that erupted in an overhead locker using anything at their disposal, including bottles of water and even cartons of juice. The cause of the fire is yet to be fully established...

www.paddleyourownkanoo.com

 

[oz_mark]

Fires originally attributed to elecric car batteries were subsequently proven to be unfounded. Perhaps the same with powerbanks! My IT department recommends completely switching of a laptop and not just putting it to sleep because they say the battery could overheat. Is that another source if fires?

Rare they may be, but having seen phones and powerbanks on fire, they are hard fires to put out. Risk management is not just about the frequency of incidents, it is also about the consequences of an incident.

 

[jb747]

A couple of weeks ago, a nearby house burnt down. The fire was started by a battery. The house was ‘gone’ by the time the brigade arrived, in an impressive 10 minutes. But, nobody was trapped inside the house, and everyone could stand on the street and watch (or run away as appropriate). Sadly neither of those options exist for an aircraft in flight. I think it’s fair to say that the airlines would like there to be zero batteries carried, of any size or use. As that ship has sailed, they’re stuck with constantly trying to tweak to rules to find something both safe(ish) and workable. When we eventually have a complete loss of aircraft and passengers, it will be taken out of their hands, with overarching laws that have no need to be passenger friendly. Nor, as we have also seen before, are they likely to be all that effective. But, if they inconvenience everyone, then they must be good.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The new ‘rules’ don’t make a lot of sense.

If power banks are this dangerous they should be banned immediately… passengers don’t need time to ‘adjust’.

The fire in the overhead means the power bank wasn’t being charged at the time. So banning the ‘charging’ of power banks is really not the root cause.

The immediate solution should be that all power banks need to be carried on person, or placed in the seat pocket in front of you. No carriage in cabin baggage or overhead lockers allowed. This will identify any heat, smoke or fire issues in as timely manner as possible.

Stage two… after giving passengers time to buy one… all power banks to be carried in a ‘safe box’ which is fire proof.

 

[Beano]

Stage two… after giving passengers time to buy one… all power banks to be carried in a ‘safe box’ which is fire proof.

You would probably exceed your carry-on allowance, dimensions and weight!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You would probably exceed your carry-on allowance, dimensions and weight!

$18 at Bunnings - 19x7x7 (cm): FirePro Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Resistant Bag

 

[Beano]

$18 at Bunnings - 19x7x7 (cm): FirePro Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Resistant Bag

Yeah Right! A battery can burn at 1000C so no go. Also it's for fire from outside and if a battery ignites it won't stop the bag getting hot and transfer heat to neighbouring materials.

Also remember one up, one down. Another bag to carry.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yeah Right! A battery can burn at 1000C so no go. Also it's for fire from outside and if a battery ignites it won't stop the bag getting hot and transfer heat to neighbouring materials.

Also remember one up, one down. Another bag to carry.

True. But the point is to be able to identify the issue and have crew handle it before it creates a major fire.

The alternative is to ban power banks completely. Airlines and passengers will need to make a choice.