TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — EVA Air, Uni Air, and Tigerair Taiwan have banned passengers from placing Bluetooth earbuds in checked luggage to prevent potential fire hazards caused by charging cases.

EVA Air and Uni Air said passengers may bring personal electronic devices (PEDs) in their carry-on luggage, per UDN. If these devices are placed in checked baggage, they must be completely powered off and not in standby or sleep mode.

However, since Bluetooth earbuds automatically charge when placed in their cases, they do not meet the requirement that PEDs in checked baggage be fully powered down. As a result, Bluetooth earbuds and charging cases are prohibited from checked luggage and must be carried on board.

Tigerair Taiwan has also issued similar regulations on its website. Citing flight safety concerns, the airline said that PEDs such as earphone charging cases and portable electric fans with built-in lithium-ion batteries can only be in carry-ons. 

China Airlines’ guidelines specify that power banks and spare lithium batteries must be carried on board. While the airline does not specifically ban Bluetooth earbuds and charging cases from checked baggage, it advises passengers to keep them in their carry-on luggage.

Starlux Airlines said it currently has no specific restrictions on Bluetooth earbuds, but lithium batteries must meet the testing standards outlined in the United Nations Manual of Tests and Criteria. It added that when checking in electronic devices containing lithium batteries, passengers must ensure they are protected from damage and accidental activation, and are fully powered off unless the battery capacity is below 2.7 Wh or contains less than 0.3 g of lithium.