The South Korean transport ministry on Thursday announced measures to boost aviation safety rules after a fire on an Air Busan plane last month, which will include limiting the number and type of portable batteries allowed on flights.
We reported that the measures will come into effect on March 1 after an Airbus plane belonging to South Korean carrier Air Busan caught fire on January 28 at Gimhae International Airport in the southern part of South Korea while preparing for departure to Hong Kong.
In a statement by the ministry, under the new safety measures, passengers will be permitted to carry up to five 100-watt-hour portable batteries, while batteries over 160 watt-hours will not be allowed on board.
According to the statement, security searches will include checking the number and types of batteries, and charging portable batteries on a plane will be banned.
The ministry, while mirroring a similar decision already taken by Air Busan last week, said it will ban passengers from keeping power banks and e-cigarettes in luggage stored in overhead cabin bins.
The decision, it said, comes in an effort to address concerns over potential portable battery fires, though the cause of the fire on the Air Busan aircraft has yet to be determined.
Air Busan said the fire was first detected by a flight attendant in an overhead luggage bin on the rear left-hand side of the plane, adding that all on board were evacuated safely.
According to global aviation standards, batteries must not be placed in checked-in luggage because they can start intense fires if they short circuit due to damage or manufacturing faults.
Comments