On March 21, a Hong Kong Airlines flight from Hangzhou to Hong Kong was forced to make an emergency landing after a power bank inside a passenger's personal bag suddenly exploded and caught fire.

This incident was not the first of its kind. On February 19, 2024, a Royal Air Philippines flight also made an emergency landing when a power bank exploded, filling the cabin with smoke.

Many airlines worldwide, including Thai Airways International (Thailand), Air Asia (Malaysia), and Air Busan (South Korea), have already issued bans on the use of power banks during flights to minimize the risk of fire and explosion.

In Vietnam, on March 24, both Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air issued official notifications prohibiting passengers from using power banks during flights.

According to the new regulations, passengers are still allowed to carry power banks on board but must remove them from carry-on luggage, keep them in a visible location, and refrain from using them to charge devices during the flight.

Passengers are also prohibited from charging power banks via the USB ports on the aircraft. All power banks must be individually secured and fully powered off to prevent accidental activation.

Each passenger is permitted to carry up to 10 power banks with a capacity not exceeding 100Wh. For typical power banks with a voltage of around 5V, this corresponds to a capacity of approximately 20,000 mAh. For power banks with a capacity ranging from 100 to 160Wh, passengers may carry a maximum of two devices.

Previously, airlines only prohibited power banks from being placed in checked baggage due to concerns about fire and explosion risks.

Le My