smart suitcases will not fly, airlines warn - best lithium battery
Have you ever thought about why the airport and the train station have signs to tell you not to put your suitcase on the escalator? This is why. . .
Airline warnSource: Australian istockVirgin and Australian Airways have confirmed that they will now ban smart luggage including non-smart luggage
Removable battery.
After the announcement last week by American Airlines, Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines, they were the first local airline to do so.
The smart suitcase can charge, weigh, and GPS tracking for the phone, which seems to be the holy grail of luggage.
However, they are driven by lithium-ion batteries, which the aviation industry sees as a fire risk, especially in the cargo compartment.
"The safety of our guests and crew has always been our top priority," Virgin Australia said in a statement . ".
"Virgin Australia ensures strict compliance with all relevant regulations in the use of portable electronic devices with batteries installed.
Our policy is in line with the current Dangerous Goods Regulations and we review this policy on a regular basis to ensure that the highest safety standards are maintained at all times.
"Qantas also prohibits the use of suitcases because in the trunk, lithium batteries cannot be removed on board and in the cargo compartment.
After suggesting that the distribution industry
The broad Standard of new luggage, after American Airlines released their own restrictions on smart luggage, the global airline organization, the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
Made a decision.
That means several other operators will have to follow suit.
The International Air Transport Association said in a statement that its dangerous goods Commission had decided to limit the delivery of smart luggage on passenger planes operated by 275 member airlines around the world.
The restriction will take effect on January 15, 2018.
Bags containing lithium batteries will only be transported if they can remove the battery from the bag.
A spokesman for the International Air Transport Association said "luggage that cannot be unloaded from lithium batteries is prohibited from being transported ".
Bags with batteries must be transported as carry-onon luggage.
If you want to fly the smart bag as checked baggage, you must take the battery out and carry it in the cabin.
According to the association's website, IATA's membership airlines account for about 83% of total air traffic.
Airlines are concerned about lithium-ion batteries in smart kits
American Airlines, Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines both said last week that as of January 15, 2018, they would ask for batteries to be removed before allowing luggage to board.
Manufacturers of these bags include companies such as BlueSmart, Raden or Away.
Away and Raden said on their website that the batteries in their bags can be easily removed.
It is not clear on BlueSmart's website whether the battery is removable or not, but it does state that all its technologies are "compliant with international regulations ".
Concerns about the risk of a lithium-ion battery fire were highlighted earlier this year in a temporary electronic ban on some flights to the United States.