The emergency response director carried on by saying that THAI was not imposing a blanket-ban on passengers carrying power packs aboard its aircraft. He elucidated with the statement that passengers would be still be permitted to carry up to two packs with a maximum capacity of 32,000 mAh (milliampere-hours) in their carry-on bags.
Mr Poomon justified the airline’s stance by saying if a lithium battery caught fire in the passenger cabin, there was a pretty good chance somebody would see it. The Bangkok Post reported that the director also claimed that fire extinguishers in aircraft’s cargo holds were probably not up to the task of putting out large fires triggered by lithium batteries self-combusting.
The new ban is in line with recommendations by the International Air Transport Association. The organisation also says batteries exceeding 32,000 mAh should not be carried onto aircraft. THAI stated that passengers with power packs above this limit needed to inform staff at check-in desks.
THAI bans power packs in checked bags
News in Asia
Thai Airways has announced that passengers are forbidden to pack power packs for mobile media devices in their checked luggage. Giving news of the ban, director Smud Poomon stated that there had been several reported incidents over the past few years in which the packs’ lithium batteries had overheated and caught fire.