Using a power bank during a flight?

[ChillingDemon]

So, this is something I've just noticed in the small print for my upcoming MEL-DPS with GA; their website says the following:

During your flight, using power banks is strictly prohibited.

I'm aware of the various restrictions regarding the voltage and mAh ratings for taking powerbanks on board a flight, but not using them during a flight is a new one on me.

We're flying business so I know there'll be a socket there to use (although I'm not sure what planes they're using on the MEL-DPS route at the moment), but this just struck me as a bit odd. I've got a few high-drain devices that I travel with these days - a Steam Deck in particular - so I'd been hoping to perhaps use the powerbank and then the socket if necessary.

Has anyone else encountered this? Is it standard across airlines or are Garuda over-zealous?

 

[dylarr]

It's an Indonesian Ministry of Transportation regulation and has been around since 2018 so you'll find the same rule applies for all Indonesian carriers and not just Garuda.

Transportation Ministry bans large power banks on flights after one caught on fire in viral video | Coconuts

Garuda Indonesia Imbau Penumpang Terkait Penggunaan Perangkat Power Bank dan Battery Lithium - Garuda Indonesia (use Google Translate to convert to English)

 

[Quickstatus]

Is it standard across airlines or are Garuda over-zealous?

Most if not all airlines have a lithium battery policy.
Ga is particularly restrictive
The problem with the term "overzealousness" is that people think that it wont happen to them. But when it does "overzealounsness" is usually replaced by something requiring even more zealousness.....

 

[jb747]

Yep. How many people drop their $2,000 phone into the guts of a seat, and have an immediate reaction of moving the powered seat? It would be nice to think, "none", but the answer seems to be closer to "all". Power banks are no different.

 

[Quickstatus]

Steam Deck

Like everything there is a time and place. How much power is available from the seat power?

 

[ChillingDemon]

Thanks all for the explanations.

Most if not all airlines have a lithium battery policy.
Ga is particularly restrictive
The problem with the term "overzealousness" is that people think that it wont happen to them. But when it does "overzealounsness" is usually replaced by something requiring even more zealousness.....

As I said, I'm aware of lithium battery policies on airlines, but prior to noticing this in the small print for my upcoming flight, I wasn't aware of any airlines restricting the use of power banks whilst flying. I previously thought they only specified the capacities of power banks which could be brought on board, not whether they could be used.

Do any airlines outside of Indonesia mandate this? I ask out of curiosity! Certainly Ga's abundance of caution is obviously more understandable in the light of that video footage.

Yep. How many people drop their $2,000 phone into the guts of a seat, and have an immediate reaction of moving the powered seat? It would be nice to think, "none", but the answer seems to be closer to "all". Power banks are no different.

Just for clarity, I'm not in favour of moving a seat when a phone or other lithium battery powered device has been dropped into it!

Like everything there is a time and place. How much power is available from the seat power?

That I don't know, and I'll have a Google to see what I can find out. Perhaps someone here knows; I'm not sure what configuration of plane they're using from Melbourne to Bali these days - they've not long reinstated the route.

I'd have to say that using a portable device when travelling is pretty much the time and the place for such an action, to be honest.