QATAR AIRWAYS FIRST TO IMPOSE BAN ON LITHIUM BATTERY POWERED ‘TOYS’
(Posted 15th December 2015)
Following recent revelations about the stability, or rather instability of Lithium Ion batteries, has Qatar Airways now as the first of the global airline community taken measures to keep devices powered by such battery packs out of their passenger aircraft. The ban, announced earlier today, is effective immediately and passengers travelling with the airline from its East African destinations Entebbe, Kigali, Nairobi, Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar are advised to check the latest guidelines about banned items published by Qatar Airways on line. The ban extends to both checked baggage as well as hand luggage. Relevant information can be found at http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/restricted-baggage.page
Qatar Airways Senior Vice President for Group Safety & Security, Ashish Jain, said when making the announcement: ‘Qatar Airways has taken this responsible and necessary step as passenger and crew safety remain our utmost concern. Recent reports and new evidence has led to our decision to add hover boards to our list of restricted items. Therefore we would like to notify passengers ahead of the busy travel season to ensure that no one is left unaware. Our priority is the safety of our passengers and staff, as such we cannot accept these items as either checked-in baggage or carry-on’.
Some examples of these small lithium battery-powered vehicles are among others: air wheel, solo wheel, hover board, mini-Segway and balance wheel. Qatar Airways is implementing the ban immediately due to concerns regarding the questionable quality of such items and the potential fire hazard associated with their batteries.
Due to international regulations, and to ensure the safety of customers, there are a number of restrictions on items that can be carried in both baggage and hand baggage and restricted items are bound to be removed by airport and gate security.
2 Responses
Hi, I need some help and advice please. I am travelling from Heathrow on Qatar airlines to Doha (in transit in Doha), Doha to Johannesburg, Johannesburg to Windoek on a Safari holiday for a month. I will be taking 2 Innokin Cool Fire IV Plus batteries. Should I pack the Innokin’s in my hand luggage?
Your thoughts and comments would be appreciated. Thank you.
Thank you for reading my blog Pauline.
I am not aware how British airport security
handles the presence of such batteries in
a passenger’s hand baggage. Before I give
you bad advice I suggest you perhaps contact
1) Qatar Airways if they permit such batteries
in your checked bags and 2) airport security
to establish if they let it go through after
the scanning process. I often travel with
large capacity powerbanks with 30K MAH and
even more and have on occasions been asked to
removed them from my hand luggage for separate
inspection as their thermal signature on the
scanner is quite visible of course. Never been
told I cannot take them but as I do not know
the shape / size of the batteries you intend
to take, please make sure in advance that they
are not prohibited items and get confiscated
at the security check.
W.