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

[moa999]

On my recent KE flight.. also banned. And you had to put any power bank in a plastic bag.

Of course not enforced and a pax next to me was clearly charging off a largish (prob 100Wh+ battery).

That said the USB-A in my seat actually worked. Unlike the night before at the Ibis Styles ICN where only 1 of 6 plugged in properly.

 

[RSD]

INT flights have 240 V points. You can charge your laptop. How is that going to work?

Unfortunately while they are theoretically 240v - the current is too weak to charge a lot of laptops - including mine.

 

[RSD]

Crystal balling a whacky idea for a second and some food for thought... I wonder if the airlines (led by the Yanks of course, cos #World Leaders and We’re No. 1 etc) will eventually be forced to introduce appropriate Airplane-safe battery standards with the support of the Chinese manufacturers. Airport security screening might then be able to verify eligibility, somehow? Batteries that don’t meet the new safety standards would not be eligible to fly. Given the impracticalities of retaining your newly labelled ineligible-to-fly batteries at the security screening points, most would reluctantly be abandoned at the airport. This could be similar to the great nail clippers fiasco post 9/11 which empowered the TSA to a frightening level of undeserved entitlement. But this time around the Airports make a killing reselling all the battery packs on eBay and the retail outlets post-security would smirk on every RRP battery sale

Not such a wacky idea - it has existed already for several years, google UN38.3

On the battery chemistry side of things, there is a ray of hope in the new Sodium Ion batteries, they should be a lot less volatile than a Lithium Cobalt battery, at the moment everyone is taking a cautious approach with them and applying the same capacity limits for taking on an aircraft as Li-ion batteries.

 

[Beano]

Unfortunately while they are theoretically 240v - the current is too weak to charge a lot of laptops - including mine.

I've never had a problem with that.

 

[Quickstatus]

The fire in the overhead means the power bank wasn’t being charged at the time

No but it likely means that the battery was charged to 100%. Depending on the battery charger it may be >100%.
Note that 100% is not the physical limit of charging . That is just the charge when voltage reaches a certain nominal number. Say 4.2V for certain Li chemistries. It is easy to charge beyond that - especially when the charger is inaccurate with the 4.2V limit and its 4.2V in reality is 5V.

There are forums which discuss how to overcharge lithium batteries so they carry more charge.

Poor quality Li batteries when repeatedly charged to 100% cause lithium tendrils or dentrites which creep along and eventually short circuit the cathode to the anode. It does not take much the distance between the cathode and anode is often in the millimetres.

The immediate solution should be that all power banks need to be

Banned.
There is another solution which is batteries can be carried in cabin with a very low SoC - maybe less than 30% and not charged unless it is a built in part of a recognised /accredited device - such as laptop, mobile phone, tablet. But then that requires checking at the gate and more delays.

all power banks to be carried in a ‘safe box’ which is fire proof.

If an electric car with the battery in a structural casing can burn down, no "safe box "exists.

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

Yes. The mantra that the airlines like to parrot "Your safety is our first priority" is already hollow, no need to hollow it out some more.

and you're on a short flight with little time to charge?

hence thats why many people will bring on batteries fully charged - see first comment

......

Also while we are there liqour is flammable....and on an international flight, there may be lots of DF liqour

 

[MEL_Traveller]

There are sleeves and cases which can contain batteries. I believe they are carried on board for use by crew in emergencies?

If they can’t completely contain a fire, would they give enough warning time for the crew to then take action?

 

[Quickstatus]

I believe they are carried on board for use by crew in emergencies?

i have always wondered how that can be achieved. That would require someone to handle said burning battery emitting a lot of toxic gases and put it into a box or bag.

 

[Gold Member]

Also while we are there liqour is flammable....and on an international flight, there may be lots of DF liqour

Hence why it’s stored in containers and many people don’t try to ignite the liquor inflight.

 

[Quickstatus]

Hence why it’s stored in containers and many people don’t try to ignite the liquor inflight.

Sure but if there is a fire, I dont want DF liqour nearby. Glass is not a very fire resistant.

....

 

[Gold Member]

Sure but if there is a fire, I dont want DF liqour nearby. Glass is not a very fire resistant.

....

If there’s a fire onboard that is hot enough to shatter alcohol bottles, I think you’ve got a much bigger problem on your hands.

 

[Quickstatus]

I think you’ve got a much bigger problem on your hands.

I would not want to make it worse - why add more fuel to an fire

 

[RSD]

I've never had a problem with that.

LOL - I have - a QF A330 certainly couldn't charge my laptop - the crew tried a few different locations including up in J but couldn't find anywhere that had enough juice.

 

[Beano]

I would not want to make it worse - why add more fuel to an fire

Qhickstatus is correct. A big fire, whether it gets worse, is bad enough.

 

[Beano]

LOL - I have - a QF A330 certainly couldn't charge my laptop - the crew tried a few different locations including up in J but couldn't find anywhere that had enough juice.

Sometimes there is no juice in the power point, which has happened to me. It may be a user thing! More users, less power! But how many people know there is a 240V port under the seat?

 

[Beano]

If you've carried around a fully charged powerbank for days or months, why would it suddenly cause a fire on a specific day when in an overhead locker? There must have been another factor in play, e.g. discharging or charging, or even a short across terminal.

 

[RSD]

Sometimes there is no juice in the power point, which has happened to me. It may be a user thing! More users, less power! But how many people know there is a 240V port under the seat?

Very few - even the flight attendants initially weren't quite sure where the 240v outlets were located. My laptop isn't your run of the mill laptop though - basically it is a 17" graphics workstation.

 

[Beano]

Very few - even the flight attendants initially weren't quite sure where the 240v outlets were located. My laptop isn't your run of the mill laptop though - basically it is a 17" graphics workstation.

Do you have a cooling pad as well?

 

[Quickstatus]

the crew tried a few different locations including up in J but couldn't find anywhere that had enough juice.

Apparently the power outlets are only up to about 75-100W
I dont know what the limit for the entire power bus.

 

[Beano]

Apparently the power outlets are only up to about 75-100W
I dont know what the limit for the entire power bus.

Which is the range of laptop power packs. If you get one over 100W you are into serious power. Most are about 65W.

 

[Quickstatus]

Most are about 65W

The fully optioned Macbook Pro M4 uses a 96W charger.