Lufthansa bans Apple AirTags from luggage, classifies it as 'dangerous'

Apple's AirTags have been banned from luggage by the German flag carrier Lufthansa calling them a danger to flight. In one tweet, Lufthansa wrote: "Banning activated AirTags from luggage as they are classified as dangerous and need to be turned off."

Team Newsable

First Published Oct 10, 2022, 12:13 PM IST | Last Updated Oct 10, 2022, 12:13 PM IST

Apple's AirTags have been banned from luggage by the German flag carrier Lufthansa calling them a danger to flight. However, the regulation the airline cites does no such thing, media reports say. According to AppleInsider, the airline's Twitter account was requested to confirm the restriction after initial claims in German media.

In a tweet, Lufthansa wrote: "Banning activated AirTags from luggage as they are classified as dangerous and need to be turned off."

Further questioned about the classification, the carrier responded: "According to International Civilian Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines, baggage trackers are subject to the dangerous goods regulations." Additionally, if the trackers are in checked luggage, they must be deactivated during the journey owing to their transmission function and cannot be utilised as a consequence. But, the claim that the airline is making about ICAO guidelines is completely wrong, the report said.

Also Read | Apple's latest version will allow you to scan for sneaky AirTags

The law that Lufthansa is referring to in particular discusses restrictions on lithium-ion batteries, which are utilised in bigger gadgets like the MacBook Pro. First off, an AirTag utilises a battery that is too tiny to be deemed problematic by the standards. Second, the legislation does not apply to the AirTag since it utilises CR2032 cells, which are not lithium-ion batteries. If CR2032 cells were, in fact, a danger, then watches using the same CR2032 would be disallowed on flights -- and they are not.

Also Read | Factcheck: Lufthansa confirms Punjab CM was NOT deplaned in Frankfurt

Meanwhile, Lufthansa Airlines was in the news again because of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann. Amid allegations against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for being deplaned from a flight in Germany for "being intoxicated", Lufthansa Airlines, on Monday, issued clarification regarding the 4-hour delay of its Delhi-Frankfurt flight.

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