Power banks have become an essential travel companion, but starting April 1, Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Scoot will ban their use and charging in-flight, citing safety concerns.

This decision follows a series of incidents involving overheating lithium batteries, including a Scoot flight fire in Taiwan and a Batik Air cabin smoke incident.

With airlines like Thai Airways, AirAsia, and South Korean carriers implementing similar restrictions, this raises pressing questions.

On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Associate Professor Palani Balaya, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, NUS,  to help understand the risks associated with power banks, the reasoning behind this ban, and what it means for air travel moving forward.

Presented by: Hongbin Jeong

Produced and Edited by: Alexandra Parada (alexparada@sph.com.sg) and Hongbin Jeong

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