Air Busan became the first airline globally to ban power banks from overhead compartments after a battery fire destroyed one of its aircraft and injured 27 people in January. The South Korean carrier still allows portable chargers on board but requires passengers to keep them within reach at all times.
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The Fire That Changed Everything
Flight BX391 was sitting at stand 55L at Gimhae International Airport on January 28, 2025, ready to depart for Hong Kong when fire erupted in an overhead bin. Within minutes, flames engulfed the rear section of the Airbus A321-231.
All 176 people aboard escaped down emergency slides as the aircraft burned. Three passengers suffered serious injuries during the evacuation. Another 24 sustained minor injuries. The 18-year-old aircraft, registration HL7763, was completely destroyed.
South Korea’s Aircraft and Railway Accident Investigation Board traced the fire to a power bank in the overhead compartment. On March 14, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport confirmed investigators found scorch marks on battery debris at the fire’s origin point. A lithium-ion battery had undergone thermal runaway – a chain reaction that generates temperatures hot enough to melt aluminum.
What Air Busan’s Ban Means for Passengers
Since February 7, passengers on Air Busan flights cannot put power banks in overhead bins. Period. The devices must stay in:
- Your pocket
- The seat-back pocket
- A bag at your feet
- Your lap
Gate agents now inspect every carry-on bag headed for overhead storage. Bags get stickers only after staff confirm no batteries inside. No sticker means the bag stays with you.
The airline also banned charging any device with a power bank during flight. You can bring them. You can carry them. You just can’t use them or store them overhead.
South Korea Makes It Law
On March 1, the government made Air Busan’s policy mandatory for all Korean airlines. Korean Air, Asiana, and every other carrier must follow the same rules.
Airlines notify passengers five times before boarding. They provide plastic bags and tape to protect battery terminals. The message is clear: batteries stay where crews can see them.
The Domino Effect Across Asia
Within weeks, airlines across Asia Pacific scrambled to implement their own restrictions:
March: Taiwan’s EVA Air and China Airlines banned charging devices with power banks. Thai Airways and AirAsia went further, prohibiting any power bank use during flights.
April: Singapore Airlines and Scoot joined the ban on using power banks.
July: Japan ordered all 23 major carriers to keep power banks out of overhead bins.
Only Cathay Pacific resisted, calling strict bans “hard to enforce.”
CNN reports aviation authorities have recorded more than 500 battery fire incidents over two decades. The Federal Aviation Administration documented 518 incidents through early 2025, jumping from 32 cases in 2016 to 84 in 2024.
Why This Fire Was Different
Batteries have caught fire on planes before. But this one happened in the worst possible place – an overhead bin where:
- No one could see the first wisps of smoke
- Flames spread through packed luggage
- Crew couldn’t quickly reach the source
- The battery was buried under other bags
Previous fires occurred in seats or galleys where crew could respond immediately. The Gimhae fire proved overhead bins create the same danger as cargo holds, where batteries have been banned since 2016.
What You Need to Know Now
Check your power bank’s capacity: Standard 20,000 mAh power banks (74 watt-hours) are fine. Anything over 100 watt-hours needs airline approval. Over 160 watt-hours stays home.
Know your airline’s rules: Asian carriers generally ban overhead storage. Western airlines focus on capacity limits. Check before you fly.
At the airport: Keep batteries accessible. Expect gate inspections on Asian airlines. Bring tape for terminal protection.
On the plane: Follow crew instructions about storage. Never charge devices in closed bags. Watch for unusual heat or swelling.
The New Normal
Seven months after the fire, passengers flying through Asia face a fragmented system. Seoul to New York via Tokyo means three different battery policies on one trip.
BBC confirms investigators found the power bank exactly where crews first spotted flames – validating fears about overhead storage. Some airports now rent power banks past security, letting travelers skip the compliance maze entirely.
The fire that destroyed Air Busan’s aircraft at Gimhae killed no one, but those 27 injuries and the image of flight BX391 in flames changed aviation. Every passenger now carries devices that airlines treat as potential fire hazards.
Air Busan issued the world’s first overhead bin ban for power banks. Other airlines followed. Western carriers haven’t. For now, where you fly determines where your power bank flies – in the bin above or the bag below.
