A recent incident involving an IndiGo flight at Chandigarh Airport has once again brought the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) latest power bank guidelines into focus. The aircraft had to be evacuated after a power bank allegedly caught fire inside the cabin following landing, triggering smoke and panic among passengers.
Amid rising global concerns over lithium-ion battery-related incidents, the DGCA had earlier issued revised rules regarding the carriage and usage of power banks on flights. The updated guidelines are aimed at minimising the risk of onboard fires caused by overheating batteries and electronic devices.
What are DGCA’s new power bank rules?
According to the latest regulations, passengers are permitted to carry power banks only in their hand baggage. Carrying power banks in checked-in luggage continues to remain strictly prohibited. The DGCA has also advised passengers not to store power banks or spare lithium batteries in overhead compartments during flights.