The fire incident involving a Busan Air plane in January has heightened concerns about the safety of lithium-ion batteries. The preliminary findings released by South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport last Friday indicate that the fire was likely caused by a faulty power bank, which led to the aircraft catching fire at Gimhae International Airport in South Korea.
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03-19, 2025The fire started in the overhead luggage compartment of the Busan Air A321 aircraft, prompting the emergency evacuation of all 176 passengers on board. The flames destroyed nearly half of the aircraft's main body and resulted in injuries to seven people. Investigators discovered scorched marks on the remnants of a power bank near the origin of the fire, suggesting that the battery's internal insulation may have been damaged, triggering the blaze.
Following the incident, airlines are strengthening relevant regulations. Lithium-ion batteries used in devices such as laptops, mobile phones, e-cigarettes, and power banks are well-known hazardous materials in air transport. These batteries, if damaged, overcharged, or malfunctioning due to manufacturing defects, can overheat, catch fire, or release extremely high temperatures.
The increasing number of lithium-ion batteries carried on aircraft has raised significant concerns about their safety. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has reported a rise in incidents involving overheating lithium-ion batteries. Last year, there was an average of three incidents per week globally involving overheating lithium-ion batteries on aircraft, compared to less than one per week in 2018.
For safety reasons, airlines worldwide have long prohibited power banks from being placed in checked baggage, due to the lithium-ion batteries within the devices. Effective March 1st, South Korea revised its airline regulations regarding carrying batteries on flights, including that passengers must carry power banks and e-cigarettes with them instead of placing them in overhead luggage compartments, and prohibiting charging devices on board. Other airlines, such as Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Thai Airways, EVA Air, and China Airlines, have followed suit, tightening their respective policies on the use of portable power banks, meaning passengers will not be allowed to use power banks to charge devices, nor use onboard USB ports to charge power banks.
Many airlines now advise passengers to watch out for visual signs of deterioration in batteries. Sonia Brown, a senior lecturer in aerospace design at the University of New South Wales, explained, "When lithium-ion batteries start to degrade, they often swell, which is a key indicator that the battery should no longer be used." She emphasized that power banks must be carried in hand luggage so that they can be monitored. "It's safer to have people carry them so that problems can be detected more quickly."
Ms. Brown added, "Power banks are becoming more and more common around the world, and as the use of these devices continues to increase, the risk of fire is also higher." Experts warn that further revisions to flight regulations may be needed as the use of lithium-ion batteries increases. The results released last Friday are preliminary findings from the Busan Air incident, and the final report is expected to be released within a year.
