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Flying with a power bank? There are some things you need to know

Power banks are very useful little things to have especially if you can’t tether yourself to a power outlet for an hour as your battery gets juiced up.

More often than not I find myself using these little gadgets on an aeroplane and, as it turns out, there are regulations that I should have taken into account before bringing a power bank onto a plane.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), travelers may not bring a power bank containing a lithium battery that exceeds a watt-hour rating of 100Wh onto a plane.

If your power bank exceeds that rating you are able to get approval from the airline to bring it onto the plane, but even then the power bank may not exceed 160Wh.

That’s not the only consideration to make as the power bank must meet various other safety requirements.

“You must also ensure that you purchase a power bank from a reputable brand, that designs and tests their products to ensure they comply with international safety standards. The circuit design is also crucial, and it is even better when fire-resistant casings are used,” ADATA country manager Tony Yu explains.

The IATA also states that lithium batteries may only be brought onto a plane as carry-on luggage and cannot be packed into checked-in luggage.

Rules are a bit different here in South Africa. The Civil Aviation Authority of South Africa states that “devices in checked baggage must be completely switched off and must be protected from damage.”

So when travelling in South Africa you can pack your battery bank (so long as its below the 100Wh limit) into your luggage but we’d stay on the safe side of international restrictions and carry it with you when travelling abroad.

Oh and as an aside for all the e-cig users out there: you are allowed to carry your device onto the plane, but you are not permitted to put it into your checked-in luggage.

 

[Image – CC 0 Pixabay]

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