DGCA has disallowed the use of power banks for charging phones or other gadgets during flights, including through aircraft seat power outlets. (AI generated image)

Aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has banned the use of power banks for charging phones or other gadgets during flights.

As per the DGCA rules, the power banks will not be used for charging phones or other gadgets during flights, including through aircraft seat power outlets, after a series of incidents worldwide involving lithium batteries overheating or catching fire.

In a ‘Dangerous Goods Advisory Circular’ issued by the DGCA in November, power banks and spare batteries will only be allowed in hand baggage and cannot be stored in overhead compartments as fire in such locations are not easily detected.

A lithium battery fire can be started by uncontrolled heating, overcharging, crushing or internal short circuit triggered by poor manufacturing quality, aged batteries or damage due to mishandling. Such fires are dangerous because they are highly energetic and can sometimes be self-sustaining, making them difficult to extinguish, DGCA said.

The circular said: “The widespread usage of lithium batteries in various rechargeable devices has led to an increase in carriage of lithium batteries by air. Power banks, portable chargers, and similar devices containing lithium batteries can act as ignition sources and potentially initiate on-board fires.”

“Lithium batteries placed in overhead stowage bins or within carry-on baggage may be obscured, difficult to access, or not readily monitored by passengers or crew members. This may result in delayed detection of smoke or fire and response actions, increasing the potential hazard to flight safety,” it said.

“A lithium battery fire can be started by uncontrolled heating, overcharging, crushing or internal short circuit triggered by poor manufacturing quality, aged batteries, or damage due to mishandling. Unlike other fires, lithium battery fires may be self-sustaining and require special methods to handle,” the advisory noted.

The DGCA has also directed airlines to review their existing safety risk assessments related to lithium batteries carried by passengers.  It also emphasised the need for better crew training to recognise early warning signs such as overheating, smoke or flames from electronic devices, use the correct firefighting equipment and understand the risks of smoke inhalation.

“This circular is issued to all air operators and airport operators to review and reinforce their safety risk management processes pertaining to the carriage and handling of lithium batteries, rechargeable lithium batteries (power banks etc.) and rechargeable devices containing lithium batteries (laptops, cell phones, tablets etc.) and adopt appropriate risk mitigation strategies to minimise lithium batteries thermal

runaway events,” it stated.

The DGCA also directed the air operators to conduct a review of safety risk assessments related to the carriage of lithium batteries by passengers, enhance familiarity with the associated hazards and the potential consequences of incidents involving such batteries, and remain updated on the latest technologies and devices containing lithium batteries.

Passengers must “immediately inform the cabin crew if any device emits heat, smoke or an unusual odour”, the rules stated, while airlines have been told to “promptly report all safety issues and occurrences related to lithium battery incidents to DGCA”.

This comes after several instances of fire where lithium batteries carried onboard were suspected to be the cause.

On October 19, a passenger’s power bank caught fire on a Dimapur-bound IndiGo flight while taxiing at Delhi airport. The cabin crew quickly extinguished the fire, and no injuries were reported.

According to NDTV, similar curbs have been introduced earlier by several international airlines and countries, including Emirates and Singapore Airlines, following lithium battery-related incidents reported last year.

Recently, a power bank caught fire mid-air on a flight from Hangzhou to Seoul, creating a panic among passengers and filling the cabin with smoke. The incident happened aboard a China-based Airbus A321 flying at an altitude of around 10 kilometres.