Portable chargers may not be checked into luggage

The Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (BRHIA) issued a circular yesterday instructing all airlines that operate at the facility to prohibit the shipping of electronic charging devices by passengers and cabin crew in checked luggage.

The circular said that the instructions are based on the amendment inserted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to the 2015-2016 version of the technical manual for the safe transport of dangerous goods by air.

The airport authority has asked airlines to compel passengers and crew traveling on board to carry these devices in the passenger cabin, where potential accidents may be controlled swiftly. However, the devices may not be used to charge electronics during flight time.