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The baggage handling system at Incheon International Airport. (provided by Incheon International Airport)
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Korean Air has announced a partial ban on products that contain lithium batteries
Smart luggage, which has gained popularity among travelers recently, is now facing new restrictions. Korean Air announced a partial ban effective as of Jan. 15 on the air transport of smart luggage containing lithium batteries. Smart luggage containing lithium batteries allows travelers to take advantage of a variety of functions, including GPS-based location tracking, travel bag weighing, motorized movement, automatic locking, and charging. For smart luggage models where the lithium batteries are not removable, both checking and hand-carrying are banned. “Models with removable lithium batteries can be checked once the batteries have been removed,” a Korean Air source said. “Passengers are allowed to carry the batteries after taking measures to prevent short-circuiting,” the source added. “When bringing them into the cabin as carry-ons, they have to leave the lithium batteries in.” Korean Air’s decision was based on International Air Transport Association (IATA), which has deemed that lithium batteries in smart luggage pose an overheating or fire risk requiring separate regulation. By Park Su-jin, staff reporter Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
