Temperature-sensitive stickers on shelves
Enable advance detection by crew and passengers
Isolation storage packs provided on each aircraft
The government will discontinue the provision of plastic bags for auxiliary batteries to prevent aircraft fire accidents. Instead, it will make the supply of isolation storage bags mandatory and introduce temperature-sensitive stickers inside the aircraft.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport announced on the 27th that, following the Air Busan aircraft fire incident on January 28, they plan to implement an enhancement to the “Auxiliary Battery In-flight Safety Management Measures,” which have been in effect since March 1, beginning September 1. Although plastic bags were provided to prevent short circuits in accordance with international standards, concerns about environmental pollution persisted. Hence, after consulting with experts, consumer groups, battery manufacturers, and airlines, a supplementary plan was developed.
The provision of plastic bags will be discontinued, and insulating tape will be provided to passengers upon request at airline check-in counters, security checkpoints, boarding gates, and on board the aircraft. However, passengers are still free to use their own plastic bags.
All aircraft of national airlines will be required to carry at least two isolation storage bags. This measure is to isolate and store devices safely after initial fire suppression to prevent secondary damage from fires involving auxiliary batteries and electronic devices.
Temperature-sensitive stickers will be attached to the exterior of cabin shelves. These stickers change color if the temperature inside the shelf rises, allowing crew or passengers to detect the increase early.
Training and publicity for crew members will also be strengthened. Training on fire suppression using extinguishers and in-flight announcements will be conducted.
Yoo Kyung-soo, the Director of Aviation Safety Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, said, “This supplementary measure aims to minimize passenger inconvenience and improve fire risk management and response measures in-flight.” He added, “We will continue to monitor the implementation to enhance effectiveness and efficiency and continually supplement measures through diverse opinions. We will also coordinate closely with international organizations like the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to achieve global harmony in these efforts.”