Rosaviatsiya has sent the Transport Ministry a proposal to ban the use of power banks on board aircraft. Izvestia reported this.
The initiative was prompted by an incident on a Ural Airlines flight from Yekaterinburg to Istanbul in February this year. A passenger’s power bank caught fire in the cabin. Flight attendants quickly extinguished the fire. The aircraft did not make an emergency landing. The passenger suffered a finger burn, and a seat cushion and safety belt were also damaged.
Rosaviatsiya believes the crew’s decision to continue the flight was justified. At the same time, the agency said that cases of power banks catching fire on aircraft have become more frequent. For this reason, Rosaviatsiya urged the authorities to consider introducing restrictions or a full ban on the use of power banks on board.
Since January 1, the International Air Transport Association has allowed power banks and devices with lithium-ion batteries to be carried only in hand luggage. Using the batteries during taxiing, takeoff, and landing is prohibited.
Guidelines from Aeroflot, Ural Airlines, S7, and Azur Air said they already comply with existing rules and recommendations for carrying power banks on aircraft.
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