Starting September 1, South Korea is rolling out an unusual but practical airline safety policy. Instead of requiring passengers to seal power banks and other lithium-ion batteries in plastic bags, airlines will now provide insulating tape.
Travelers can still bring their own methods of isolation, but tape will be available at check-in counters, security checkpoints, boarding gates, and even inside the aircraft upon request.
Each plane will also be required to carry at least two fire containment bags and install adhesive, heat-sensitive stickers in overhead bins, which change color when exposed to rising temperatures. Cabin crews will undergo additional hands-on training, and airlines will broadcast at least two in-flight reminders on battery safety during every flight.
Regulators in Seoul say the effort is designed not only to cut down on plastic waste but also to make cabins safer in the face of rising lithium-battery risks.
For American travelers, this isn’t just a quirky foreign regulation—it’s a sign of a growing global problem.
Data from the Federal Aviation Administration shows lithium-battery-related incidents on flights have surged by nearly 400 percent since 2015. In 2024 alone, there were 89 verified cases on U.S. passenger and cargo flights, a 16 percent increase over the prior year.
On average, about two thermal runaway events—where batteries overheat, smoke, or catch fire—occurred every week, and one in five led to serious disruptions such as emergency landings, aborted takeoffs, or in-flight evacuations.
The risks are often worsened by passenger behavior. A recent survey found that nearly 40 percent of U.S. travelers admitted to packing lithium-powered devices in checked luggage, even though flight crews can’t access them quickly if they overheat.
And the consequences are anything but hypothetical. In one recent case, an American Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Phoenix was forced into an emergency landing after a device ignited mid-air, filling the cabin with smoke.
Southwest Airlines has already responded by banning passengers from charging hidden power banks inside carry-ons or overhead bins, requiring that such devices remain visible whenever in use.
Seen in this light, South Korea’s “tape-first” rule looks less like a novelty and more like a forward-thinking solution.
By combining sustainability goals with heightened safety standards, Seoul may be charting a path worth watching.
For Americans who travel with multiple devices—often without a second thought to the risks—the Korean approach may hold lessons that could help make U.S. skies safer, one strip of tape at a time.
