Passengers may still bring portable batteries and e-cigarettes into the cabin but are strictly prohibited from placing them in checked luggage. (Yonhpa)
SEOUL, March 2 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea has introduced stricter regulations on carrying lithium-ion power banks and e-cigarettes aboard airplanes, requiring passengers to keep them on their person and banning storage in overhead bins.
The new rules, implemented on March 1, aim to enhance in-flight safety following a fire incident aboard an Air Busan flight in January, though the cause has yet to be confirmed as a power bank.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) announced that passengers may still bring portable batteries and e-cigarettes into the cabin but are strictly prohibited from placing them in checked luggage. Approved items must now carry an airline-issued authorization sticker and pass security screening.
Under the new guidelines, passengers can bring up to five small power banks or e-cigarettes with a capacity of 100 watt-hours (Wh) or less. If exceeding this limit, airline approval is required, with exceptions granted only for medical use.
Batteries ranging between 100Wh and 160Wh are limited to two units per passenger and must be stored with terminals insulated using tape, protective pouches, or sealed plastic bags to prevent metal contact.
Larger batteries exceeding 160Wh, commonly used for camping, are strictly prohibited in the cabin.
Passengers may still bring portable batteries and e-cigarettes into the cabin but are strictly prohibited from placing them in checked luggage. (Yonhpa)
However, electronic devices with built-in batteries, such as smartphones and laptops, are exempt from these restrictions as they incorporate internal short-circuit prevention mechanisms.
Passengers must carry power banks and e-cigarettes on their person or store them in seat pockets—placing them in overhead bins is strictly prohibited, even if sealed in a plastic bag.
Additionally, charging power banks in-flight is now banned. While passengers can use them to charge devices like smartphones or laptops, plugging them into the aircraft’s USB ports for recharging is no longer permitted.
Security personnel have also been granted authority to inspect passengers’ belongings if unauthorized power banks are suspected. Any unapproved items will be immediately handed over to the airline for further verification and disposal.
The revised measures reflect growing global aviation concerns over lithium-ion battery safety and are expected to further tighten oversight on in-flight fire hazards.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
