Hong Kong travel agencies are advising clients to rethink what they pack in their carry-ons after South Korea’s Hanjin Group—parent of Korean Air and Asiana—announced a blanket ban on using portable power banks during flights from 26 January. The prohibition, which also applies to budget affiliates Jin Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul, follows a series of onboard battery-related fire incidents worldwide and mirrors restrictions already adopted by some mainland Chinese and Middle Eastern airlines.
Under the new rules, passengers may still carry power banks rated below 100 Wh, in line with ICAO guidelines, but the devices must remain switched off, unplugged and within arm’s reach; storing them in overhead bins or charging them mid-flight is forbidden. Offenders risk confiscation of the battery and possible fines. Cabin crew have been instructed to make additional safety announcements and conduct spot checks during boarding.
Travellers juggling these changing in-flight battery rules alongside complex entry visas may appreciate a one-stop solution: VisaHQ’s Hong Kong office (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) can secure travel documents for South Korea and over 200 other destinations while also providing timely alerts on airline policy shifts. By centralising both visa processing and practical travel updates, the service helps passengers avoid last-minute surprises at the gate.
![Hong Kong agents warn flyers to leave power banks at home as Korean carriers tighten in-flight rules]()
Hong Kong outbound tour operator WWPKG said on 23 January it had begun emailing customers to leave power banks at home and rely instead on USB sockets built into most aircraft seats. While the advisory is not legally mandatory, company director Yuen Chun-ning noted that last-minute confiscations at security checkpoints are disruptive and could delay group departures.
For corporate travellers, the change is another reminder that battery-safety policies vary by carrier and can change with little notice. Travel-management companies are updating pre-trip checklists and recommending that executives carry lightweight charging cables or laptop adapters that work with seat-back outlets. Airlines, for their part, argue that the inconvenience is outweighed by the reduced fire-risk in an era when the average wide-body cabin carries thousands of lithium-ion cells.
Regulators are watching closely. The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department told the Post it has not yet mandated similar restrictions for locally based airlines but is “monitoring international best practice.” Should more carriers follow Hanjin’s lead, business travellers may soon need to treat power banks like aerosols or liquids—legal, but tightly policed across borders.
Under the new rules, passengers may still carry power banks rated below 100 Wh, in line with ICAO guidelines, but the devices must remain switched off, unplugged and within arm’s reach; storing them in overhead bins or charging them mid-flight is forbidden. Offenders risk confiscation of the battery and possible fines. Cabin crew have been instructed to make additional safety announcements and conduct spot checks during boarding.
Travellers juggling these changing in-flight battery rules alongside complex entry visas may appreciate a one-stop solution: VisaHQ’s Hong Kong office (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) can secure travel documents for South Korea and over 200 other destinations while also providing timely alerts on airline policy shifts. By centralising both visa processing and practical travel updates, the service helps passengers avoid last-minute surprises at the gate.
Hong Kong outbound tour operator WWPKG said on 23 January it had begun emailing customers to leave power banks at home and rely instead on USB sockets built into most aircraft seats. While the advisory is not legally mandatory, company director Yuen Chun-ning noted that last-minute confiscations at security checkpoints are disruptive and could delay group departures.
For corporate travellers, the change is another reminder that battery-safety policies vary by carrier and can change with little notice. Travel-management companies are updating pre-trip checklists and recommending that executives carry lightweight charging cables or laptop adapters that work with seat-back outlets. Airlines, for their part, argue that the inconvenience is outweighed by the reduced fire-risk in an era when the average wide-body cabin carries thousands of lithium-ion cells.
Regulators are watching closely. The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department told the Post it has not yet mandated similar restrictions for locally based airlines but is “monitoring international best practice.” Should more carriers follow Hanjin’s lead, business travellers may soon need to treat power banks like aerosols or liquids—legal, but tightly policed across borders.
