For the dozens or hundreds of people on board, a commercial flight making an emergency landing is a stressful and even dangerous event. Unfortunately, an all-too-frequent cause of emergency landings are fires on board a plane, which can often be caused by lithium batteries. This has prompted a number of airlines to prohibit putting electronic devices in checked baggage, for instance — but some in the industry have taken a bigger step towards restricting batteries on flights.
If you’re someone who frequently travels with multiple external batteries or power banks for your phone — a category I am very much a part of — you may need to rethink your plans, at least if you’re flying on Southwest. As Hannah Ziegler reports at The New York Times, the airline is revamping its policy with respect to external batteries and carry-on bags. Beginning on April 20, passengers will be limited to one external battery.
That is not the only change set to go into effect later this month. The airline is also prohibiting charging external batteries using outlets built into Southwest’s seats. As Ziegler notes, this follows earlier restrictions on using external batteries on Southwest flights, but does not approach the steps taken by the likes of Singapore Airlines, which has entirely prohibited using external batteries on flights.
Higher Oil Prices Could Be an Existential Threat to Some Airlines
Higher oil prices can mean higher airfaresEarlier this month, the Associated Press’s Josh Funk noted that Southwest’s new policy was being adopted in the wake of recommendations from the International Civil Aviation Organization. Last month, the I.C.A.O. recommended that travelers be limited to no more than two external batteries or power banks per flight. Southwest has gone above and beyond that recommendation; it’ll be worth watching the industry to see if more airlines follow suit.
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