India bars MOBIKINS MKPB04 power bank on flights

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has barred the MOBIKINS MKPB04 power bank from flights to, from and within the country, citing a fire incident involving the model and potential safety risks. The restriction covers cabin baggage, checked baggage and cargo, and applies to the specified model rather than all power banks. In a circular dated September 29, the regulator advised airlines and the travelling public to ensure the device is not carried or transported aboard aircraft. Airlines were instructed to identify the model and prevent it from being taken on board, according to reports describing the circular. The circular refers to a recent fire involving a MOBIKINS MKPB04 power bank but does not provide details about when or where that incident occurred. The reports do not establish whether it was the same device involved in a separate fire aboard an IndiGo flight on October 11. That IndiGo flight was travelling from Delhi to Chennai when a passenger’s power bank caught fire in an overhead compartment, according to reports. The aircraft diverted to Hyderabad and landed safely.