Hoverboards banned from planes as airlines take a stand on security
Popular gift may be fun for their fans, but they’ve created a security headache at the airport due to fears about their safety
Dozens of hoverboards are being seized every day at Hong Kong International Airport, but not from the duty free shop shelves by bargain-hunting travellers.
Some models of the self-balancing scooters have proven to be potentially hazardous, prompting the airport to tighten security checks to stop them from being loaded onto aircraft.
They may be a popular Christmas present, but they raise alarm bells for airport scanners when they are detected hidden inside suitcases and hundreds of hoverboards have been consigned to the scrap heap this month.
After a spate of fires triggered by or associated with the wheeled boards, some of which contain lithium ion batteries, dozens of airlines – including all local Hong Kong carriers – to slap a travel ban.
Avseco, the aviation security operator at the International Airport, told the Post that hoverboards are being seized after security experts advised airlines to step up security checks so risky items don’t end up on planes. The checks appear to be working.
“For the benefit of the general public and passengers intending to travel with such devices, they are recommended to contact their flight carrier or browse their carrier’s website for updated information,” a spokesman for Avseco, which is co-owned by the Airport Authority and the Hong Kong government.
Up until December 23, 453 hoverboards were found in physical searches of 389 pieces of checked-in baggage. They were then handed back to the airlines for disposal.
The five biggest airlines operating at HKIA – Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Hong Kong Airlines, HK Express and China Airlines – have been refusing to carry hoverboards for weeks. According to the Post’s own research, 22 out of 88 airlines flying to Hong Kong have banned them because they consider them dangerous – including major carriers Qantas, British Airways and Korean Air.
Jeffrey Kuo, vice-president of corporate communications at China Airlines, all self-balancing scooters presented s “flight safety” issue.
Cathay Pacific and Dragonair has labelled all small vehicles operated by lithium ion batteries a “fire risk” and even refuse to store the items for safe keeping.
A Hong Kong Airlines spokeswoman said, “We take concerted action with the Hong Kong International Airport to identify and prevent hazard caused by hoverboards, as an airline which takes safety as its top priority.”
One of the gadgets is said to have caused a fire at a flat in Choi Hung last month.
Use of hoverboards is limited across the city, according to the Transport Department, which says riding the self-balancing electric vehicles on streets and pavements is illegal.
Despite limited use in many countries and the apparent fire risks, the booming popularity of hoverboards has led to an explosion in production across mainland China, but often low-quality materials are used. Cheap balancing scooters have since flooded the market and are being snapped up by retailers around the world.
Tests have unearthed a litany of plug, cabling, charger, battery and cut-off switch issues and faults which could lead to overheating and cause fires.
Earlier this month, British regulators impounded 15,000 hoverboards on their way into the country, citing safety concerns. Meanwhile US consumer safety chiefs are probing 10 fires in five states they believe were caused by the machines.
