SINGAPORE: Fifteen power banks were taken from outbound travellers on Wednesday (April 15), the first day a new rule that limits each person to only two devices onboard a plane kicked in.
The power banks were given up by travellers who were screened before boarding between midnight and 3pm, the Changi Airport Group said in a statement. The screening process involved about 275 flights.
Security screening is carried out at the entrances to boarding gates in Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and after the immigration departure area in Terminal 4.
On April 6, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said passengers carrying more than two power banks will be made to throw away extra power banks before boarding, starting April 15.
The new rules, rolled out by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, apply to all rechargeable battery packs, including those with capacities of up to 100 watt-hour (Wh) and those between 100Wh and 160Wh, which require advance approval.
Before the new limits came into effect, travellers were allowed to carry up to 20 power banks if each one does not exceed 100Wh. For power banks with a capacity of between 100Wh and 160Wh, the limit is unchanged at two. - The Straits Times/ANN
