Malaysia’s AirAsia to restrict power bank usage on flights amid Hong Kong ban

Malaysia’s AirAsia has become the latest airline to tighten rules on bringing power banks onto planes, days after Hong Kong’s aviation regulator announced restrictions on the devices for passengers flying with local carriers. AirAsia announced on Wednesday that passengers needed to store their power banks in their seat pocket or underneath their chair from next month. Passengers would also be banned from charging other portable electronic devices using power banks during flights, the budget airline said. “These measures align with global aviation safety standards to reduce the risk of battery-related incidents during flights,” it said on its official website. AirAsia also advised guests to ensure their power banks complied with the airline’s policy before arriving at the airport. Passengers cannot bring on board power banks that exceed 100 watt-hours (Wh) or 20,000 milliampere-hours (mAh). Any such devices with a power level of between 100Wh and 160Wh must be approved by airline staff at the airport check-in counter. Two days earlier, Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department announced similar rules for four local carriers – Cathay Pacific Airways and its budget arm HK Express, alongside Greater Bay Airlines and Hong Kong Airlines. On Monday, the department expressed serious concerns over recent safety incidents involving passengers who had used lithium power banks while flying. The new rules will take effect on April 7 and prohibit passengers from storing power banks in overhead compartments and using the devices during flights. Last week, an inbound Hong Kong Airlines flight from Hangzhou in Zhejiang province was forced to divert to Fuzhou after a fire broke out on board.<br/>