China bans power banks without certification on domestic flights

Passengers traveling on domestic flights in China will be prohibited from bringing power banks that lack the China Compulsory Certification (3C) certificate mark, have unclear 3C certification, or have been subject to product recalls onboard.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) will implement the ban starting Saturday (Jun 28), following multiple in-flight incidents involving fires and smoke caused by lithium battery products, including power banks.

In March, a Hong Kong Airlines flight traveling from Hangzhou to Hong Kong was forced to divert to Fuzhou after a fire broke out in the overhead compartment, which was caused by a power bank.

An investigation conducted by the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety revealed that the involved power bank, a product manufactured by the Chinese brand Romoss, was placed inside a suitcase and caught fire due to thermal runaway.

According to Shenzhen authorities, the brand initiated a recall of over 490,000 power banks in early June, citing potential overheating issues during use that could pose a fire risk under extreme conditions.

Additionally, another Chinese power bank brand, Anker, announced the recall of more than 710,000 power banks due to potential safety hazards.

(Judy Cui)