Following a recent incident that saw an Airbus A-320 plane forced to make an emergency landing in China due to a fire on board, allegedly started by a lithium-ion battery, Hong Kong's civil aviation regulator has announced tougher regulations on the transportation of such devices.

The Department of Civil Aviation (CAD) has expressed "deep concern" over recent incidents on board aircraft that have undermined their safety, suspecting that portable external batteries (power banks) with lithium ion were the main cause. The decision to tighten the rules, made public through a press release, is certainly not new because at an international level for about two decades at least, attention has been placed on lithium-powered devices in relation to the safety of air transport. The incident, the dynamics of which are still under investigation, has simply reignited the debate on the risks associated with these devices, especially in confined spaces such as airplane cabins. And so we are once again talking about their potential danger because they can overheat and catch fire if damaged, defective or do not comply with safety standards.

The CAD has announced that the new restrictions, which will come into force in the coming weeks, will mainly concern:

- Battery capacity restrictions: Tighter limits will be imposed on the capacity of lithium-ion batteries that passengers can carry on board.

- Packaging requirements: Stricter requirements for the packaging and protection of batteries will be introduced to prevent damage during transportation.

- Stricter controls: security checks at airport boarding points will be intensified to identify non-compliant devices.

- Passenger information: Airlines will be required to provide more detailed information to passengers on the risks associated with the transport of lithium-ion batteries and on the new regulations.

Hong Kong's decision aligns with recommendations from international organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which have long called for greater attention to the safety of transporting lithium-ion batteries. The ICAO has also published detailed guidelines on the packaging and transport requirements for such devices, stressing their importance in preventing fires on board aircraft.