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Airline introduces world-first hand luggage ban on popular travel gadget
The ban follows a major aircraft fire that saw passengers evacuated
AN airline has become the first in the world to ban power banks in hand luggage after a plane caught fire on the runway.
Korean airline Air Busan confirmed the gadget would be banned from all cabin bags onboard after flames ripped through one of its aircraft.
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The majority of airlines already have power banks on their prohibited items list for any checked luggage going into the hold.
However, most still allow them into the cabin depending on their size.
The Korean airline introduced the new rule this week after a fire onboard a flight on January 28 and said it was a "preemptive measure".
Passengers will be forced to keep them on their person at all times, or in their underseat bag but they will be told to remove them from any bags going into the overhead lockers.
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All passengers and crew were safely evacuated from the Airbus 321 last month after a flight attendant spotted the fire.
However, the aircraft has been burned beyond repair.
An investigation is underway as to what caused the fire but it was thought to be a power bank.
Lo Kok-keung, a retried engineering professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, told the on the dangers of power banks on planes.
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He said: “If it creates a short circuit it can create a high temperature and burn the internal materials and create a fire which can burn clothing in the baggage.”
Other airlines have not suggested they will follow suit.
Horror moment fire erupts on packed plane as passengers scream in panic after power bank bursts into flames injuring two
Some UK airline rules ban power banks in checked luggage.
Ryanair says: "Customers can carry a maximum of two spare lithium ion batteries in carry-on baggage and these must be individually protected to prevent short circuits."
Passengers are also warned not to try and retrieve their phones if they lose them down the side of the seat mid-flight, due to risk of fire.
In 2017, a man's phone caught fire on a United Airlines flight after it fell between the seats, followed by a Delta Airline incident in 2018 when it started smoking for a similar reason.
Former pilot Patrick Smith said: "If you're in an electrically controlled lie-flat seat, of the type common in first or business class, there are a number of nooks and crannies into which your phone can slip — beyond your reach and down into the mechanisms that control the seat's various positions.
"To avoid this entire scenario, avoid leaving your phone near the edge of the console, from where it can easily slip or fall."
Passengers should always alert flight crew if their phone falls down the side of the seat.
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What are the current power bank travel rules?
The below power bank rules are in place for the majority of UK airlines although passengers are advised to check before travelling.
Power banks must be carried in your hand luggage or on your person. They are not allowed in checked luggage.
Power banks with a capacity of up to 100Wh are generally allowed without prior approval.
For power banks between 100Wh and 160Wh, you may need the airline's permission.
Passengers are typically allowed to carry up to two power banks.
Here are some other items that are banned on flights.
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