Latest news with #ThaiAirways
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Can I take my portable charger on a flight? The rules after several airlines ban using the device
With travel documents becoming increasingly digitised, knowing your phone has the charge to carry you from check-in through to customs is key for travellers. Although portable chargers may be vital to ensure a smooth journey, lithium-ion batteries commonly found inside power banks pose a fire risk to aircraft and confined cabin spaces if damaged. From 28 May, Southwest Airlines passengers must use their portable chargers and batteries in plain sight. The airline brought in the rule citing safety concerns after multiple overheating incidents. This means charging devices stored in a bag or overhead bin will no longer be permitted. The carrier believes this new policy will allow crew members to respond faster to lithium batteries overheating or catching fire. As airlines move to contain fire risks in the cabin, we address the questions: can you fly with a portable charger? And what are the rules? Can I take my portable charger on a flight? Yes. Portable chargers and power banks are usually allowed on flights, but there are restrictions on where they can be packed. Most airlines allow portable chargers packed in your carry-on luggage but not in checked luggage or any bags that will go in the hold. Generally, power banks with a capacity of 100Wh or less are permitted in the cabin without requiring airline approval. Some carriers, including Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways, prohibit the use of power banks to charge personal devices during a flight. Passengers travelling on these airlines are also not allowed to charge portable power banks themselves via the onboard USB ports. What do the UK authorities say? The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says 'spare batteries for portable electronic devices containing lithium-ion batteries exceeding a Watt-hour rating of 100 Wh but not exceeding 160 Wh' are permitted in carry-on luggage for personal use. It adds: 'No more than two individually protected spare batteries per person may be carried.' Each lithium-ion cell or battery must also be 'individually protected so as to prevent short circuits'. Any spare batteries are not permitted to fly in checked baggage, warns the CAA. Foreign Office (FCDO) travel advice recommends checking 'the restrictions on certain types of batteries with your airline if you're not sure what you can carry'. What are the portable charger rules in other countries? Alongside Southwest Airlines, carriers in China, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea and Singapore have also implemented new power bank regulations following safety concerns. From 1 March, South Korea implemented stricter rules on carrying portable batteries on flights following a fire on an Air Busan plane on 28 January. The revised rules state that a passenger can carry a maximum of five portable batteries, each with a capacity of up to 100 watt-hours. Batteries exceeding 160 watt hours in capacity are strictly prohibited. On 7 April, the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department banned passengers from using power banks on flights after a fire on a Hong Kong Airlines flight from Hangzhou in China on 20 March. Passengers can still take power banks in carry-on luggage, but they must keep the devices under seats or in seat pockets and not in overhead compartments. Taiwan's EVA Airways similarly bans the use and charging of power banks and spare lithium batteries on flights. Passengers can carry them in their hand luggage if they are 'properly stored to prevent compression or damage'. In March, Singapore Airlines shared a post on X stating: 'Effective 1st April 2025, Singapore Airlines customers will not be allowed to charge portable power banks via the onboard USB ports, or use power banks to charge their personal devices, throughout the duration of the flight.'
News18
3 days ago
- News18
Mumbai Customs Seizes 52 Exotic Reptiles In Major Wildlife Smuggling Bust
In a major breakthrough against wildlife trafficking, Mumbai Customs officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMI) intercepted an Indian passenger who was attempting to smuggle a large number of exotic reptiles into the country. On May 23, 2025, she was sentenced to life, with a minimum of 15 years to be served. (Representative image) The incident took place on May 31 when a passenger arriving from Bangkok on Thai Airways flight TG317 was flagged during routine checks. Customs officers, acting on specific intelligence and observing unusual behaviour, decided to inspect his baggage more closely. Inside the luggage, they discovered a shocking cache — 52 live reptiles, carefully packed and hidden. Among them were three Spider-Tailed Horned Vipers, a rare desert snake species known for its unique tail that mimics a spider to attract prey. The officers also found five Asian Leaf Turtles, a species native to Southeast Asia and frequently targeted in the exotic pet trade. Additionally, 44 Indonesian Pit Vipers were found, one of which had died during transport. The animals were in a delicate condition. Customs authorities quickly informed wildlife and forest officials to ensure the reptiles were given immediate care. Most of the animals are now under observation and being treated by experts. advetisement
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Southwest Airlines places new restrictions on portable chargers in carry-on
We've all been there: you're on a flight, and your cell phone battery is dwindling. You need your phone to show your boarding card, keep yourself entertained on board, and navigate your way to your destination. For many travelers, that's when portable battery packs or portable chargers can save the day. Now passengers flying with Southwest Airlines will be required to keep these kinds of chargers visible, if they are using them mid-flight — a move aimed at reducing the risk of batteries causing onboard fires. In what it called a 'first-in-industry' policy, the airline confirmed to CNN that the new rule would be introduced from May 28. 'Using portable charging devices while stored in a bag or overhead bin will no longer be permitted,' a spokesperson said via email. The new Southwest rules are also online on the airline's website: 'When a portable charger/power bank is used during a flight, it must be out of any baggage and remain in plain sight. Do not charge devices in the overhead bin.' 'Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees,' the airline's spokesperson added. Portable power banks are powered by lithium-ion batteries and more than 600 in-flight lithium battery incidents involving smoke, fire, or extreme heat have been recorded by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the past two decades. FAA data also says there have been 22 verified incidents so far in 2025. FAA rules currently prohibit passengers from carrying spare lithium-ion batteries, such as power banks, in their checked luggage. Southwest's change follows the tightening of rules on carrying lithium batteries on planes by several Asian airlines, including Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines. A portable power bank with a lithium battery was found to be a possible source of a fire that engulfed an Air Busan plane in January while it was waiting for takeoff, South Korea's transport ministry said in a press release. The press release cited the investigation committee and forensic services. Investigators found 'multiple electrical melting marks from the remains of a power bank,' the press release said. South Korea subsequently introduced nationwide restrictions, banning passengers from storing power banks and e-cigarettes in overhead cabins on all of the country's airlines. Travelers can store power banks either in the seat pocket or under the airline seat. Meanwhile, travelers on Thai Airways cannot use power banks on flights. Singapore Airlines also prohibits passengers from using or charging power banks in-flight. Lithium-ion batteries, which are used in power banks, are filled with materials which are highly reactive and highly flammable, according to Sonya Brown, senior lecturer in aerospace design at the University of New South Wales in Australia. 'Lithium batteries could act as an ignition source themselves, or as a source of fuel for a fire initiated elsewhere. The potential risk as an ignition source is increased when lithium batteries are damaged, swollen, include manufacturing defects, are over-charged or over-heated,' she told CNN earlier this year. Brown also said accidental contact with other battery terminals 'can cause unintended discharge' and suggests power banks and spare batteries be taped with a non-conductive material or packed separately to avoid coming into contact with other metals. Brown also recommends passengers inspect their power banks before traveling for any signs of swelling or external damage and consider disposing of them according to local regulations if there is anything that appears unusual. CNN's Kathleen Magramo, Gawon Bae, Kocha Olarn and Tom Booth contributed to this report.
New Indian Express
21-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Exotic wildlife smuggling linked to pet shops again in Tamil Nadu
CHENNAI: In yet another clear indication of the involvement of pet shops in the trafficking of exotic wildlife from Thailand and Malaysia to India, the Bengaluru Airport Customs last week arrested the owner of a popular pet shop in the city who had arrived there allegedly to receive a Coimbatore-based man who had smuggled some venomous snakes, a cuscus and possum from Thailand. On May 12, Bengaluru Customs intercepted Jagadeesh Raman (43), a native of Sulur in Coimbatore, after he arrived from Bangkok on the TG-325 Thai Airways flight. His bag was found to contain nine Wagler's pit vipers, a venomous snake found in south-east Asia, a common cuscus and a possum. Customs officials also arrested Yogesh P (36) who allegedly came to collect the trafficked animals. According to official sources, Yogesh P and his brother Sunil P run Sun's Aqua pet store in JP Nagar in Bengaluru. The store's social media profiles advertise the sale of multiple exotic animals and birds, and it has also been featured on multiple YouTube vlogs as well. TNIE had earlier reported the link between S Ravikumar, a former Tamil Nadu police constable who was identified as the lynchpin of an international wildlife trafficking gang, and Syed Liyaqath Ulla, a Bengaluru-based man who also runs a pet shop, the Karnataka Aquarium. Ulla was arrested allegedly for smuggling exotic species in Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh in November and features in multiple investigations of the Chennai Customs and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) pertaining to exotic species smuggling.
News.com.au
20-05-2025
- News.com.au
Aussie busted with 22kg of meth in Thailand
An Australian tourist was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle 22kg of meth through an airport in Thailand. The 28-year-old was reportedly caught with the drugs while trying to board a plane at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on May 18, according to Asia Pacific Press. Staff flagged his belongings after finding 'density abnormalities' in his luggage during inspections. They said they rifled through the bags and discovered the plastic packs of methamphetamine inside. The Aussie tourist was due to fly to Melbourne on a Thai Airways flight but was arrested before boarding. 'The owner of the bag was an Australian passenger who was trying to take the crystal meth to Australia, where its value would increase tenfold,' Phanthong Loykunlanan, spokesman of the Customs Department, said. 'We believe the suspect was not selling the drugs himself. In previous cases, the tourists we arrested were just couriers delivering the drugs to a drugs network in the country of destination. 'They may have been in debt or were hired, but they are not the sellers themselves.' Mr Loykunlanan said as for where the drugs came from, 'we cannot say because the case is under investigation'. Meth is classified as a category 1 substance in Thailand. Under Thai law, using category 1 substances may be punished with up to three years in jail and a fine of up to 60,000 baht, while possession carries a fine of up to 200,000 baht – $A9500 – and up to 10 years imprisonment. Those convicted of dealing may face life imprisonment and a five million baht fine, depending on the amount involved. Producers, importers, and exporters of Category 1 substances face the same charges and may face the death penalty if it is proven their intent was to sell or distribute on a large scale.
