SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - South Korean low-cost carrier Jeju Air said on Wednesday it will ban the use of portable battery packs on board its aircraft starting Jan. 22, citing the risk of lithium-ion battery fires.
The measure applies to all passengers on domestic and international flights and prohibits using portable battery packs to charge devices such as mobile phones and tablet computers during flights.
Under existing transport ministry guidelines, charging portable battery packs and electronic cigarettes on board is already prohibited. Jeju Air said it is going a step further by banning in-flight use of battery packs entirely to further reduce fire risks.
The airline said it will post notices on its website and provide advance alerts via KakaoTalk notifications and during self-service kiosk check-in. Airport check-in counters will also inform passengers of the new restriction.
Jeju Air said it has strengthened safety measures related to lithium batteries over the past year.
The airline has carried fire-suppression pouches on board since February last year and, under enhanced government safety standards, has required passengers since March to take short-circuit prevention measures and keep battery packs on their person or in a visible location during flights. In August, the airline added temperature-sensitive stickers to overhead storage bins.
The carrier also said it has immediately disposed of found items involving lithium batteries, including portable battery packs and e-cigarettes, since February last year. Since April, it has banned wireless hair straighteners from being carried on board due to concerns over excessive heat generation.
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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