India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued an immediate prohibition on carrying the MOBIKINS MK-PB-04 portable battery after the device was implicated in an onboard fire that forced an IndiGo Airbus A320 to divert on 11 October. The directive, released on 14 October, applies to every flight operating to, from or within India, meaning that the ban automatically covers the busy India–UAE corridor served by Emirates, Etihad, Air India, IndiGo, flydubai and Air Arabia. Airlines have been instructed to identify and confiscate the specified model at check-in and boarding gates, and to issue passenger-wide advisories through email, SMS and social media. Cabin crews must also refuse in-flight charging of the device and refresh fire-containment drills for lithium-ion incidents. The order does not affect other power banks, but DGCA warns it may widen restrictions if manufacturers fail to provide conformity data within seven days. The UAE hosts one of the world’s largest Indian expatriate populations, with more than 650 daily bilateral flights. Travel-management companies say the new rule could slow security queues during the forthcoming Diwali travel rush, as staff manually inspect power banks that passengers often carry in hand luggage. Retailers in Dubai’s electronics souqs report spikes in returns of the affected model. Employers running high-volume shuttle programmes between India and the Emirates should circulate the ban internally, update travel checklists and remind staff that undeclared carriage of the device could lead to fines or denied boarding. Passengers can still carry approved power banks rated below 100 Wh in cabin baggage, consistent with both DGCA and UAE GCAA dangerous-goods rules.
Source: Gulf News (IANS feed)
