Paytm’s Vijay Shekhar Sharma Demands Power Bank Flight Ban After IndiGo Fire | Today’s news
Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma has called for a ban on power banks on flights to and from India after a power bank caught fire on board an IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation Ltd) flight carrying 191 passengers from Delhi.
In a post on X, Sharma questioned why airlines and aviation regulators did not ban power banks on flights, citing safety concerns related to equipment fires on board.
He also pointed to the existing requirement for passengers to keep their devices in airplane mode, adding that he would prefer a ban on power banks on flights to and from India.
His post again drew attention to the safety of the power bank during air transport and the measures needed to prevent fires on board.
DGCA bans a particular model of power bank on flights
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has banned the carriage and use of a particular model of power bank on flights, PTI reported.
In a statement dated September 29, the aviation regulator banned the “MOBIKINS MK-PB-04 power bank” citing the recent fire of the device.
The specific details of the incident and the manufacturer of the power bank could not be ascertained.
Explaining the decision, the DGCA said that in view of the recent fire and the potential security risks associated with the device, the power bank should not be “carried or transported on board an aircraft, either as passengers’ baggage (including checked and cabin baggage) or as cargo on any flight to, from or within India”.
An IndiGo flight was diverted after a power bank caught fire
There have been several incidents involving power bank fires on board aircraft.
On October 11, a passenger’s power bank located in the overhead storage compartment of a Chennai-bound IndiGo aircraft caught fire, after which the aircraft was diverted to Hyderabad airport, where it landed safely, according to sources.
The incidents highlighted the safety risks associated with power banks when traveling by air and the regulatory measures governing their transport and use.
