SIA to ban use and charging of power banks on flights from April

Passengers aboard Singapore Airlines (SIA) flights will not be allowed to use power banks to charge their personal devices from April 1.

In a Facebook post on March 12, the national carrier said that passengers would also not be allowed to charge portable power banks via onboard USB ports throughout the duration of the flight, citing safety reasons for the move.

"The SIA Group complies with the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations regarding the carriage of power banks, which are classified as lithium batteries," said SIA.

"This means power banks must be carried in cabin baggage on all SIA flights and are not permitted in checked baggage."

It added that its customers may bring power banks with a capacity of up to 100Wh without special approval, while those between 100Wh and 160Wh require airline approval.