Flying This Summer? Airport Issues Terrifying Warning About This Common Travel Gadget
- Tallinn Airport has issued an urgent safety alert for passengers traveling with a power bank this summer after a surveillance camera at the airport's security checkpoint caught the moment a battery pack exploded in a passenger's carry-on case.
A European airport has issued an urgent travel warning for passengers who fly with a common everyday gadget that fans say they couldn’t live without, but what they probably don’t realize poses a serious safety risk, especially if it malfunctions on a plane at 35,000 feet.
Tallinn Airport in Estonia issued the warning after a passenger’s portable battery pack exploded in their carry-on luggage during an inspection at the security checkpoint last week.
The airport posted a video of the frightening incident from an overhead security camera that captured the moment smoke suddenly poured out of the closed case before flames ripped out of the bag.
Thankfully, a quick-thinking security officer tackled the fire with a heavy-duty fire extinguisher, although smoke continued to billow out of the case.
“It was a “lucky” accident because the battery bank exploded BEFORE arriving on the plane,” the airport said in a post on Facebook. “We’re all glad this didn’t happen on the flight.”
“This is a good example of why battery banks should not be packed in checked luggage,” the airport warned. “(Just) think about how such an explosion would happen during a flight in the cargo hold of the plane, where there is no one who could react to a fire quickly.”
“Safety is most important in aviation, and the rules that seem stern are not designed to bully anyone.”
The incident occurred just weeks after a slew of international carriers, including the likes of Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways, imposed new rules on portable battery banks to prevent a serious inflight fire.
The new restrictions were hurried in after a battery pack bank that was in a passenger’s hand luggage burst into flames as an Air Busan airplane was preparing for departure at Gimhae International in South Korea in January.
Flight attendants struggled to access the battery pack to extinguish the fire, resulting in the flames quickly spreading. The Airbus A321 aircraft was quickly consumed in fire, and the entire plane was left a smoldering wreck.
Thankfully, the fire occurred on the ground, and all 176 people and six crew members were able to evacuate the plane via emergency slides.
Some airlines have now instructed passengers to keep portable battery packs on their person at all times and not to store them in bags or in the overhead bins so that they remain easily accessible at all times and can be monitored for signs of a so-called ‘thermal runaway.’
Other airlines have banned passengers from using their battery banks inflight – either to charge other devices or to charge the battery bank via USB and plug outlets.
Advice That Travelers Cannot Ignore
In order to avoid a potentially catastrophic accident, passengers should always consider the following when traveling with portable battery packs, as well as any other gadget containing a lithium-ion battery, :
- Power off any devices that you are not using.
- Never pack a device containing a lithium-ion battery in your checked luggage.
- When using onboard charging devices like USB ports and plug points, monitor your device and unplug it before going to sleep.
- Avoid charging your device to 100%. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suggests that keeping devices charged to around 30% will significantly reduce the risk of a thermal runaway event.
- Only official charging accessories and avoid using cables or devices that are damaged.
