South Korea to limit power banks on flights following plane fire

By Hyunsu Yim

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's transport ministry on Thursday announced measures to strengthen aviation safety rules, following a fire on an Air Busan plane last month, which will include limiting the number and type of portable batteries allowed on flights.

The measures come into effect on March 1 after an Airbus plane belonging to South Korean carrier Air Busan caught fire on January 28 at Gimhae International Airport in the southern part of South Korea while preparing for departure to Hong Kong.

Under the new safety measures passengers will be permitted to carry up to five 100 watt-hours portable batteries, while batteries over 160 watt-hours won't be allowed on board.

Security searches will include checking the number and types of batteries, and charging portable batteries on a plane will be banned, the ministry said in a statement.

Mirroring a similar decision already taken by Air Busan last week, the ministry said it will ban passengers from keeping power banks and e-cigarettes in luggage stored in overhead cabin bins.

The decision comes in an effort to address concerns over potential portable battery fires, the ministry said, though the cause of the fire on the Air Busan aircraft has yet to be determined.

The fire was first detected by a flight attendant in an overhead luggage bin in the rear left-hand side of the plane, the airline said. All on board were evacuated safely.

Global aviation standards say batteries must not be placed in checked-in luggage because they can start intense fires if they short circuit due to damage or manufacturing faults.

(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Josh Smith and)