EVA Air bans checking in Bluetooth headphones

Taipei, Nov. 2 (CNA) For the sake of fire safety, prospective passengers are now banned from keeping Bluetooth headsets inside check-in luggage when flying with EVA Airways, a spokesperson of the company told CNA Sunday.

Electronics like Bluetooth headsets must be kept with carry-on baggage, according to the airline.

Other than EVA Air, the Evergreen Group subsidiary's sister domestic operator, UNI Air, also posted an official notice on its website on Oct. 23, declaring that the airline bans the checking in of Bluetooth headsets.

Due to the wireless capabilities provided by Bluetooth technology, Bluetooth headsets are engineered with lithium batteries, unlike analogue earphones that are powered by the devices they are attached to through wires.

As a result, both of the Evergreen Group airlines declared that portable electronic devices (PED) should be carried on by passengers due to fire safety concerns.

Should passengers opt to keep such devices in check-in luggage, they should be turned off or powered down, according to the airlines.

However, as Bluetooth headsets are often stored inside cases that also double as charging ports, both EVA Air and UNI Air said such PEDs do not meet the basic requirement of being kept turned-off because the cases automatically charge headphones upon contact and storage.

In addition, the airlines explained that Spare Battery-Power Bank devices must never be left inside check-in luggage and must always be stored inside carry-ons.

Considering the charging capabilities of headset cases, both EVA Air and UNI Air said such items are regulated by the rules governing power banks, further explaining their new decision to keep Bluetooth headsets with carry-on baggage.

Besides the two Evergreen Group companies, Tigerair also said it bans storing Bluetooth headsets inside check-in luggage.

On its official website, Tigerair said for the sake of air traffic safety, PED products with built-in lithium batteries such as Bluetooth headphone cases and handheld fans must be stored in carry-on baggage and not check-in luggage.

While it doesn't clearly state that it bans checking in items such as Bluetooth headsets, China Airlines, one of Taiwan's leading carriers, echoed the two Evergreen Group airlines' assessments on the auto-charging function of Bluetooth headset cases not meeting the power-off requirements for checking in PEDs.

China Airlines' official website shows that it recommends passengers put their headphones and cases in carry-on baggage.

Meanwhile, Starlux Airlines said that the company does not have a specific protocol regulating Bluetooth headphones.

However, Starlux did note that all products with lithium batteries must abide by United Nations' safety standards.