The lithium battery problem has hit Australia - fire on Domestic Flight

[ben95]

I’m was on a VA flight this morning and announcement is already being made wrt power bank. The message says VA is reviewing the power banks related policies and in the interim passengers are reminded that they should closely monitor their power banks if they use it to charge their device and preferably keep the power bank in an accessible location (say in a backpack under the seat / inside the seat pocket not inside a suitcase in the overhead bin).

 

[PERLHR]

Perhaps it's also to do with cheaper brands and inferior products coming into the market. There are countless no-name brands that seem to manufacture/sell batteries and I wonder if the quality control is lacking.

You mean those that say "made it China".

 

[DejaBrew]

You made those that say "made it China".

That would cover pretty much 99.9999999% of the market wouldn't it?

Honestly though, who cares where they're made? The important thing is that there needs to be minimum quality/manufacturing standards to which these batteries and power banks adhere. No different to saying that if a vehicle doesn't meet a certain set of design standards, it cannot be sold into the Australian market.

 

[kookaburra75]

That would cover pretty much 99.9999999% of the market wouldn't it?

Honestly though, who cares where they're made? The important thing is that there needs to be minimum quality/manufacturing standards to which these batteries and power banks adhere. No different to saying that if a vehicle doesn't meet a certain set of design standards, it cannot be sold into the Australian market.

China is already ahead of us regarding power banks, with a mandated standard

Post in thread 'China - never a dull moment!'

Jun 28, 2025

New rule for power banks in China on domestic flights: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/-KrF7_FZ_g71hE3g_43mVg

Now illegal:


Legal:

• Cruiser Elite

• 
• 

 

[Aussie_flyer]

You mean those that say "made it China".

That's rubbish. There is very good quality power banks made in China. It's not about the country of origin.

 

[ben95]

The important thing is that there needs to be minimum quality/manufacturing standards to which these batteries and power banks adhere.

Not saying there shouldn’t be but I think for lithium batteries that’s more difficult to establish. You can use quality manufacturer and components but even then there’s still risk with impurities in materials or the process causing problems for certain batches only after the batteries are used after a while.

Same problem with the Samsung phones back in the days. I think it’s fair to say Samsung have reasonably robust manufacturing capabilities and quality standard, yet they still get caught out with defects in the batteries.

What China has done for domestic flight is a good step, though the enforcement has shown to be a bit problematic in practice because even certified products can have certain batches recalled due to problems with particular batches of cells - it becomes a nightmare when airport security spend ages checking the batch number of your model isn’t on the recall list. We need a more streamlined system worldwide to mange these.

 

[PERLHR]

That's rubbish. There is very good quality power banks made in China. It's not about the country of origin

That's nice.

 

[DejaBrew]

Not saying there shouldn’t be but I think for lithium batteries that’s more difficult to establish. You can use quality manufacturer and components but even then there’s still risk with impurities in materials or the process causing problems for certain batches only after the batteries are used after a while.

Same problem with the Samsung phones back in the days. I think it’s fair to say Samsung have reasonably robust manufacturing capabilities and quality standard, yet they still get caught out with defects in the batteries.

That's fair and I take your point, but I would still expect companies like Samsung to have far fewer incidences of these types of problems because they generally maintain high standards. As far as power banks go, I still think there are plenty of dodgy brands out there selling products that are clearly not up to standard.

 

[NM]

That's rubbish. There is very good quality power banks made in China. It's not about the country of origin.

Indeed there are lots of very high quality products that are manufactured in China. Unfortunately, many items made in China are not of high quality. And in many cases its trial and error to determine which is which. Lots of reliance on the supply chain and importers/retailers to ensure "name brand" items meet consume expectations (for quality and standards compliance) beyond just the purchase price.

I recently found an old power bank that my kids used, with serious swelling of the battery module that deformed the outer plastic case significantly. Needless to say that it very quickly found a new home in the battery recycling bin at the local council tip. It was certainly a fire looking for a place to start.

 

[lovestotravel]

But what if you want to use the phone for what it can do? My new-ish iPhone def needs a top-up during walking-touring around, browsing on bus etc.

I have a S24 Ultra and will get the S26 when it's out in a few months - Even on power save it does everything pretty much normally.

Never needed a top up while out and about, as I'm in a car/bus/train where charging ports are available if needed.

The last time I had a power bank for my phone was back in 2020 and haven't had the need since.

I'd rather have a new device than worry about a powerbank

 

[badseed]

This stuff is only going to escalate, so I reckon we'll end up with a near-total ban in the next couple of years. Already seeing some fairly big moves in the insurance space which will only push airlines closer to an outright ban.

I'm heading off on a hike in the Alps in September and already factored in buying a new powerbank in Europe and planning to just leave it there.

 

[equus]

China is already ahead of us regarding power banks, with a mandated standard

All very well - but how much trust in what is printed on a device? Lots of cloned stuff printed up with all the compliance but the cheap clones just copy everything.

 

[Himeno]

This stuff is only going to escalate, so I reckon we'll end up with a near-total ban in the next couple of years. Already seeing some fairly big moves in the insurance space which will only push airlines closer to an outright ban.

If a widespread ban on portable rechargeable batteries were to happen, then companies offering to rent them to travellers are going to start popping up with airport pickups available.
The companies in Japan which offer portable wifi/phone rentals already offer power banks in their rental packages.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If a widespread ban on portable rechargeable batteries were to happen, then companies offering to rent them to travellers are going to start popping up with airport pickups available.
The companies in Japan which offer portable wifi/phone rentals already offer power banks in their rental packages.

Power bank rental widely available in chinese cities too!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Power bank rental widely available in chinese cities too!

Every bar, restaurant, hotel, nook and cranny

 

[aus_flyer]

Cathay Pacific bans using and charging batteries inflight and they must not be put in overhead lockers. This is a HK requirement.

 

[Char]

Cheap battery pack will do it. So scary to think

 

[RSD]

Cheap battery pack will do it. So scary to think

Doesn't have to be a cheap one - plenty of Tesla's have caught fire and they don't use cheap battery cells.