Five airlines under Hanjin Group, including Korean Air Lines, said on the 23rd they will impose a blanket ban on the use of portable batteries on board.
The revised portable battery policy will take effect on the 26th on domestic and international flights operated by Korean Air Lines, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, AIR BUSAN, and AIR SEOUL.
Accordingly, charging electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablet PCs, laptops, and cameras with portable batteries carried on board is prohibited.
Airlines have tightened policies on portable batteries because onboard fire incidents linked to lithium-ion cells embedded in the batteries have occurred one after another recently. Lithium-ion cells can lead to greater damage if early detection and suppression fail due to thermal runaway, in which internal temperature rises rapidly.
Earlier, the five Hanjin Group airlines had implemented various safety measures to prevent onboard fires caused by portable batteries. Under a policy announced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in Aug. last year, they provide insulation tape to prevent short circuits to passengers in need at check-in counters, boarding gates, and in the cabin, and they are required to carry at least two isolation storage bags for portable batteries on board.
They also attached temperature-sensitive stickers to the outside of overhead bins that turn red when the temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius, allowing faster recognition of heat buildup inside the bins.
Since Mar. last year, they have prohibited storing portable batteries in overhead bins when carried into the cabin, requiring passengers to keep them within reach, either on their person, in the seatback pocket, or under the seat in front.