Lithium Powerbank Ignites in Qantas Lounge

[MEL_Traveller]

Many flights are still pretty shocking when it comes to the power that their USB plugs provide. You're absolutely right as to what the right thing to do is, but if we design a system around everybody being well prepared and not using their phones for non-essential things then we're going to have a bad time.

Only for the first time

Visas, travel insurance, arriving before check-in closes, to name a few examples.

All based on people being well prepared.

This will be no different.

 

[Quickstatus]

Stop buying Temu power banks

 

[Forg]

Stop buying Temu power banks

Factoid that was interesting to me at least … a mate’s wife runs an antiques business in Beijing, she spends 90% of her life there, and they both do lots of commuting back-and-forth. My mate told me last week that she’d only just discovered Temu.

So they don’t bother peddling their cough there, it’s an organisation based around selling cough that’s too cough to try selling in CCP Land.

 

[justinbrett]

I’m confused why this would lead to banning on flights. There are many other venues such as hostels or apartment buildings that wouldn’t want items spontaneously combusting.

Surely the answer is to regulate the power banks themselves. We’ve had them for years but it seems only recently they’ve been in the news for causing fires and being subject to bans. This does support the argument it’s the cheap models causing the problems.

My Jackery one is about 8 years old and it works as well now as the day I bought it.

 

[milehighclub]

I’m confused why this would lead to banning on flights. There are many other venues such as hostels or apartment buildings that wouldn’t want items spontaneously combusting.

We saw hoverboards banned and even Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones at one point for combusting. If it gets worse, it could happen. Aircraft don't have the luxury of sprinkler systems and the like to even contain or somewhat prevent the spread of fire automatically.

 

[offshore171]

We saw hoverboards banned

I recall Rusty Crowe threw a massive tanty when told he couldn't bring hoverboards on the plane

Russell Crowe goes on another Twitter rant towards Virgin Australia

Russell Crowe takes another swipe at Virgin Airlines, two days after being refused entry onto an aircraft due to hoverboard carry-on luggage.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Forg]

I’m confused why this would lead to banning on flights. There are many other venues such as hostels or apartment buildings that wouldn’t want items spontaneously combusting.

Surely the answer is to regulate the power banks themselves. We’ve had them for years but it seems only recently they’ve been in the news for causing fires and being subject to bans.

It could be like cars/roads/driving, ... nobody thought to ban it in the Way Back, but if you tried to implement something like that brand-new now there'd be ZERO chance.

It's all about how the message is sold to the customer, and how much effect it might have on sales if you don't sell it right, more than anything else.

 

[justinbrett]

We saw hoverboards banned and even Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones at one point for combusting. If it gets worse, it could happen. Aircraft don't have the luxury of sprinkler systems and the like to even contain or somewhat prevent the spread of fire automatically.

Yes they banned a specific model of phone, not all phones.

Absolute worst case they’ll do what China did and bring in certification requirements. i can’t see a blanket ban on all airlines. It’s still an incredibly rare event.

They don’t have sprinklers but they do have extinguishers and specific equipment (bags etc) to deal with this. It’s not an unknown risk.

 

[RooFlyer]

I’m confused why this would lead to banning on flights. There are many other venues such as hostels or apartment buildings that wouldn’t want items spontaneously combusting.

Hostels and apartment buildings have regulated evacuation plans in case of fire, and in-built fire fighting facilities like sprinklers which should suppress the fire until professionals arrive to fight the fire. Aircraft have none of these - the options are much more limited (actually, none in the air). I think fire is the single biggest threat/disaster that can happen to an aircraft, isn't it?

So a bit of extraordinary precaution about spontaneous fire is probably a good idea and just common sense, really. Like just about everything on an aircraft is about mitigating low risk occurrences - for our safety.

 

[justinbrett]

Hostels and apartment buildings have regulated evacuation plans in case of fire, and in-built fire fighting facilities like sprinklers which should suppress the fire until professionals arrive to fight the fire. Aircraft have none of these - the options are much more limited (actually, none in the air). I think fire is the single biggest threat/disaster that can happen to an aircraft, isn't it?

So a bit of extraordinary precaution about spontaneous fire is probably a good idea and just common sense, really. Like just about everything on an aircraft is about mitigating low risk occurrences - for our safety.

My point is there should be wider regulation than just aviation into defective powerbanks.

Risk is not eliminated on aircraft - otherwise they wouldn't allow you to turn your phone on. Laptops should be banned. It's about risk management, and as I said already, this has been a known risk for some time. Airlines will do there own individual risk management, some may overreact but common sense, as you say, will prevail. I just don't think that common sense is an outright ban on all powerbanks. It could be like China with certification requirements. Powerbanks are not a new product - I've had mine for 8 years.

Remember some airlines banned AirTags in luggage? I think most if not all have relaxed that now.