The giant company from Europe forbids the use of portable luggage on the flight

The Lufthansa group, which includes Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines, will prohibit the use of portable cargo on flights of all the group’s companies starting today (January 15).

According to the new policy, it is forbidden to use or charge lithium batteries during the flight, including charging devices such as smartphones or tablets. Charging lithium batteries from the aircraft’s power supply is also prohibited. Each passenger may carry up to two lithium batteries in their bag, but not use them.

Lithium batteries or portable chargers must be kept on the passenger’s body, in the seat pocket or in the suitcase under the seat. They must not be stored in the upper compartments. The maximum battery capacity allowed without special approval is 100 watts, devices between 100 and 160 watts require approval from the airline before boarding the flight. The exception is for essential medical devices, which can continue to be powered by lithium batteries.

These prohibitions come for safety reasons, after quite a few cases in which the portable batteries or various electrical devices caught fire during the flight and caused damage to property and emergency landings that cost a lot of money.