Korean Air, along with four other Hanjin Group airlines—Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Air Busan, and Air Seoul—will prohibit the in-flight use of power banks from 26 January. This decision is part of enhanced safety measures aimed at preventing in-flight fire accidents involving lithium-ion power banks.
Passengers will no longer be allowed to use power banks to charge devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, or cameras during flights. However, power banks can still be carried into the cabin, provided they adhere to existing regulations on capacity and quantity. To prevent short circuits, passengers are advised to cover metal charging ports with electrical tape or place each battery in a separate plastic bag or pouch. Power banks must remain within personal reach and not be stored in overhead lockers.
The airlines will inform customers of the updated regulations through their websites, mobile apps, airport check-in desks, and notification messages. Announcements will also be made at boarding gates and on board aircraft. A Korean Air representative stated, “The ban on the in-flight use of power banks is a necessary measure to ensure the highest standards of flight safety, and passenger cooperation is essential.”
Prior to this policy, Korean Air and other Hanjin airlines had implemented preventive measures in line with Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport policies. These include providing insulation tape at check-in desks, equipping aircraft with fire-containment bags, and attaching temperature-sensitive stickers to overhead lockers for quicker overheating detection. Cabin crew training has also been enhanced with specialised drills for power bank fire scenarios.
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