Brazil’s civil-aviation regulator ANAC has issued Supplementary Instruction 175-001 (M) limiting travellers to two power banks of up to 100 Wh and—crucially—prohibiting their use or re-charging during the flight. Airlines Azul, Gol and Latam have already updated safety briefings and cabin-crew scripts; Gol was the last of the big three to enforce the ban on 4 May. The move aligns Brazil with recent International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidance and mirrors restrictions adopted by carriers such as Emirates and Lufthansa. Passengers must keep power banks in carry-on baggage, preferably in the seat-pocket rather than overhead bins, to allow rapid intervention in case of thermal runaway. Checked-bag carriage remains strictly forbidden. For business travellers the change removes ambiguity that led to uneven gate enforcement and occasional confiscations at security. Mobility managers should update pre-trip checklists, reminding employees to pack compliant devices and carry USB-A/USB-C cables so they can switch to seat-power where available. Companies that issue high-capacity chargers (>100 Wh) for field staff will need to provide smaller units or obtain airline pre-approval. Travel-risk consultants note that lithium-battery incidents are a top three cause of in-flight smoke events worldwide. ANAC’s clearer rules reduce insurance liability for carriers and could influence other Latin-American regulators reviewing their own dangerous-goods codes.
Source: Tecnoblog
