Paytm's Vijay Shekhar Sharma calls for power bank ban on flights after IndiGo fire incident

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 aboard an IndiGo(InterGlobe Aviation Ltd) aircraft carrying 191 passengers from Delhi.

In a post on X, Sharma questioned why airlines and aviation regulators had not prohibited power banks on flights, citing safety concerns linked to fire incidents involving the devices aboard aircraft.

He also referred 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 has brought renewed attention to power bank safety during air travel and the measures needed to prevent onboard fire incidents.

In a communication dated September 29, the aviation regulator banned the “MOBIKINS MK-PB-04 power bank”, citing a recent fire incident involving the device.

Specific details about 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 incident and the potential safety risks associated with the device, the power bank should not be “carried or transported on board the aircraft, whether as passenger baggage (including checked-in and cabin baggage) or as cargo, on any flight to, from or within India”.

On October 11, a passenger's power bank kept in the overhead bin of a Chennai-bound IndiGo aircraft caught fire, following which the plane was diverted to Hyderabad airport, where it landed safely, according to sources.

The incidents have brought attention to the safety risks associated with power banks during air travel and the regulatory measures governing their carriage and use.

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