• Southwest Airlines to implement new safety rule on portable chargers from May 28.
• Passengers must keep battery packs visible to prevent overheating risks.
• Airline cites 22 reported incidents related to lithium battery fires this year.
• New policy exceeds current FAA guidelines for safer air travel.
• International measures also addressing similar safety concerns have been adopted.

Starting May 28, Southwest Airlines will require passengers to keep portable charging devices such as battery packs in plain sight during flights. This "first-in-industry" policy aims to enhance safety, allowing crew members immediate access to these devices to address potential fire hazards, a response to alarming trends in overheating incidents related to lithium-ion batteries, common in many modern electronic gadgets. The airline emphasized that "Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of its Customers and Employees," according to The Hill, NPR, and India Times.

The implementation of this rule stems from documented cases of lithium battery fires, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reporting over 22 incidents just this year, highlighting a critical safety concern. The policy prohibits the use of portable chargers while stored in bags or overhead bins, advocating instead for visibility during their use to allow for fast intervention if a thermal runaway incident occurs. The FAA has noted that 240 of its tracked incidents involved portable battery packs, underscoring the risks associated with their usage aboard aircraft, according to The Hill and India Times.

Southwest's policy sets a new precedent that goes beyond existing FAA and TSA regulations, which allow power banks only in carry-on luggage but not in checked baggage. This rule is designed not just to comply with safety standards but to proactively reduce the possibility of in-flight incidents. Other airlines and governments, notably South Korea and regions in Asia, have also begun to implement similar measures in response to the growing concern over lithium battery hazards, as reported by NPR and India Times.