Earlier this week, Southwest Airlines declared a new safety policy for lithium batteries. This initiative is a positive step toward improving passenger safety in the wake of multiple emergency situations caused by lithium-ion batteries. The new rule goes into effect on May 28. It would force passengers to leave removable charging units out on display while in use mid-flight. This ambitious new initiative comes on the heels of a report by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). They’ve documented 19 incidents this year involving extreme heat and/or fire/smoke on cargo and/or passenger flights.
Both the FAA’s reviews of these incidents and ongoing investigations have alarmingly underscored the dangers of portable batteries. South Korea’s transport ministry has identified one power bank with compromised insulation. They suspect this is the device that triggered a fire on board an Air Busan flight. The challenge occurred moments before takeoff. Smoke filled the cabin, leading to the evacuation of almost 180 passengers and crew members on board.
Amidst all of this, Southwest Airlines is trying to pretend that they have been the safest operator in the U.S. The airline’s new policy is a reflection of the company’s dedication to the health and safety of its customers and employees.
“Southwest will introduce a first-in-industry Safety policy on May 28 requiring Customers to keep portable charging devices visible while in use during flight,” – Southwest Airlines
Furthermore, the airline has stated that “Using portable charging devices while stored in a bag or overhead bin will no longer be permitted. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of its Customers and Employees.”
Southwest is making history as the first U.S. airline to put this in place. At the same time, some of our major international airline competitors—most notably in Asia—have quickly adopted similar requirements. All of South Korea’s carriers have restructured their policies. To do so after both the Air Busan accident and Reuters’ reporting on the cause of the fire investigation is frankly remarkable.
Notably, FAA’s present rules permit these portable batteries and other devices in passenger baggage. However, as we’ve seen in recent preventable trademark catastrophes, that’s clearly not enough. These are important steps to protect flights from the fire and explosion risks posed by lithium-ion batteries.
