appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

June Xia

Mandy Zuo

China’s aviation authorities have imposed an emergency ban on air passengers’ carrying substandard power banks, catching many travellers off guard.
The safety precaution, which went into effect on June 28, two days after being announced by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), has triggered questions and concerns.
Here are six points that people travelling to and within China need to know – from which power banks are still allowed, to what can be done with ineligible ones at the airport.
1. What constitutes a ‘substandard’ power bank?
China Compulsory Certification (CCC), also known as “3C certification”, is a mandatory safety and quality-assurance standard for many products sold in China, ensuring they meet specific safety, health and environmental impact standards.
Managed by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, the system legally requires products listed in the 3C catalogue to obtain certification before they can be manufactured, sold, imported or used.
Any power bank without 3C certification – denoted by a mark that can be seen on the surface – is deemed substandard.
Airports will establish areas for passengers to discard or temporarily store non-compliant power banks, and provide mailing services as required by the CAAC. Passengers can also choose to handle their intercepted power banks during security checks, based on their needs.
The CAAC requires proper documentation at all stages of handling non-compliant power banks to ensure traceability of their disposal and to prevent unauthorised handling or re-entry into the market. Power banks that exceed the storage period will be considered voluntarily discarded by passengers.
2. Why did Chinese authorities roll out this rule?
In August, authorities banned the sale of power banks without 3C certification, out of concerns over safety hazards of substandard products, but pre-existing, unsold stock continues to circulate in the Chinese market.
Some substandard products still make their way into consumer hands by being falsely labelled as having obtained the 3C certification, such as from Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei, a market known for selling various electronics. On Monday, its merchants were ordered by the city’s market-supervision authorities to prohibit the sale of any uncertified power banks.
China’s state broadcaster, CCTV, reported at the weekend that a common cause of power bank fires is a short circuit due to internal wiring faults, as the pressure in an aircraft cabin changes, and the temperature of the battery can surge to 400 degrees Celsius (752 degrees Fahrenheit) in a matter of seconds and continue to rise. Most fire extinguishers are unable to cool overheated power banks, leaving them prone to reignition.
People’s Daily reported on Wednesday that 15 incidents of power banks catching fire or emitting smoke have occurred on domestic flights so far this year.
In June, three incidents involving power bank fires – including one in which a flight from Hangzhou to Shenzhen returned and made an emergency landing due to a smoking power bank – raised alarms about the potential dangers.
3. How to buy a compliant power bank?
Look for the encircled “CCC” marking. It should not be a sticker applied directly to the power bank. See here:

Recently, major Chinese power bank companies such as Romoss and Anker started recalling non-compliant products, and their 3C certifications have been suspended.
Compliant power banks can generally be purchased from large electronics retailers and appliance stores.
4. Will international flights be affected by the ban?
The power bank ban currently applies to domestic flights only, according to the CAAC’s June 26 announcement.
For international flights, as there is no updated requirement for carrying power banks, the standard for passing through security checks remains unchanged for a rated energy not exceeding 100Wh, authorities said. Power banks exceeding 100Wh, but not exceeding 160Wh, may be carried with airline approval, but each passenger is limited to no more than two. More than 160Wh is not allowed.
The labels should be clear enough to read. Without a marked rated energy, or if it cannot be calculated from other clearly marked parameters, the power bank cannot be brought on an international flight.
For international passengers departing from airports without direct flights to their destinations, the latest regulations still apply during transit within China, meaning power banks without 3C certification cannot be brought on board.
5. What about China’s rail passengers?
Passengers travelling by rail do not need 3C certification for power banks, as long as the rated energy does not exceed 100Wh, and the labels must be legible to board the train.
Power banks and lithium batteries with clear markings and a compliant rated energy are exempt and not included in the “restricted carry-on items” issued by the National Railway Administration and the Ministry of Public Security.
Subway security standards are independently set by local authorities. In Fuzhou and Hefei, the rated energy of a single power bank should not exceed 100Wh, and each passenger may carry up to two compliant power banks. Guangzhou Metro regulations state that passengers may carry no more than five power banks, with each having a rated capacity not exceeding 74Wh.
6. What are other countries doing about power banks on flights?
Regulations on passengers carrying power banks in different countries around the world on flights are generally consistent, based on the International Civil Aviation Organisation standards. The United States, United Kingdom and South Korea permit power banks with a rated energy of up to 100Wh, while those between 100Wh and 160Wh require airline approval.
Since May, Southwest Airlines in the US has required passengers using power banks during flights to keep them in a location visible to the crew, not in carry-on luggage nor overhead compartments.
China and the European Aviation Safety Agency prohibit the use of power banks during flights. Malaysia Airlines prohibits the use of power banks during flights and requires that they not be placed in overhead compartments.
Following an aviation incident in Busan in March, South Korea adjusted its regulations, with several airlines banning the use of power banks on board and requiring that those carried on board be kept with the passenger or placed in the seat pocket in front, not in overhead compartments.
Singapore Airlines has banned the use of power banks during flights and prohibited charging power banks using on-board outlets since April.


China airports climb global-connectivity ranking as international routes rise: OAG report

Chinese travel platform sparks debate with US$760,000 space flight package

China’s inbound tourism revenue projected to reach US$470 billion by 2040: UBS

How China’s new railway artery bolsters Hong Kong’s ties to the capital, central heartland

China travel

China’s power bank crackdown: 6 preflight answers for wary travellers

China’s move to ban non-compliant power banks from flights caught some travellers off guard.  Photo: Shutterstock

China’s move to ban non-compliant power banks from flights caught some travellers off guard. Photo: Shutterstock

The 3C label is seen on a Huawei Technologies power bank on Friday in China’s Hubei province. The civil aviation regulator has announced a ban on power banks without this type of 3C certification, on those with unclear 3C labels, and on those subject to product recalls from being carried on domestic flights. Photo: Getty Images

China edges closer to Airbus mega-deal, leaving Boeing out in the cold: analysts

The logo of Airbus is pictured outside the Airbus facility in Saint-Nazaire, France, November 7, 2023. Photo: Reuters / Stephane Mahe / File Photo

Juneyao Airlines Airbus A321 airplane at Shanghai Hongqiao airport (SHA) in China. Airbus is a European aircraft manufacturer based in Toulouse, France. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese sellers bracing as Amazon Prime Day sale could put weight of US tariffs on display

An Amazon delivery agent handles packages. Next week’s Amazon Prime Day is expected to feel the weight of Washington’s tariffs on trade partners. Photo: Shutterstock

China air travellers caught off guard after regulator grounds some mobile power banks

Ban follows a series of incidents globally involving overheated batteries on flights. Photo: Shutterstock  

Travellers have reported seeing restricted portable power banks piling up at airport security checks in China. Photo: Handout

Anker partners with Apple battery supplier ATL after massive power bank recall

Anker and rival Romoss have recalled more than 1.2 million power banks amid fire risks. Photo: Handout

China’s real consumption ‘far from as low as it seems’ – think tank bucks market consensus

People shop along a business street in Beijing. Some analysts say China’s consumption levels are better than many people believe. Photo: AFP

Economy

China Economy

Knowledge

China Macro Economy

Topics

News

China

Uncertified devices for charging electronics are banned from domestic flights, leaving some people caught off guard at airports


Uncertified devices for charging electronics are banned from domestic flights, leaving some people caught off guard at airports.


Tourism

Shenzhen

Asia travel

China economy

Chinese tourists

Aviation

Travel news and advice

Hong Kong transport

China airliners

Singapore

United States

Singapore Airlines

CCTV

Provide background, definition and detail of a specific topic, helping the reader understand how something works or what has happened in the past.  (Eg. What is Nafta? US and Mexico are on the verge of revising trade deal.)
 


Explainer

China’s power bank crackdown: 6 preflight answers for wary travellers

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Uncertified devices for charging electronics are banned from domestic flights, leaving some people caught off guard at airports

1. What constitutes a ‘substandard’ power bank?

Uncertified devices for charging electronics are banned from domestic flights, leaving some people caught off guard at airports