Aviation: position trackers in flight luggage now officially allowed

2023-05-16 07:58:29

air traffic
Position trackers in flight baggage now officially allowed

A Bluetooth tracker from Apple. photo

© Zacharie Scheurer/dpa

With small tracking devices like the AirTags from Apple, you can not only track down a bunch of keys, but also locate your suitcase anywhere.

Airplane passengers will officially be able to use location trackers such as Apple’s AirTags or Samsung’s SmartTags to locate their checked baggage. A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Transport pointed this out on Tuesday in Berlin.

The ministry has supported an amendment to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), according to which carrying GPS trackers in the cargo hold of aircraft is now formally permitted.

So far, there have been no clear guidelines for taking trackers such as AirTags in checked baggage. This had led to different airlines giving their passengers different announcements as to whether or not they could stow trackers in their suitcases. For a while, Lufthansa considered the mini transmitters in checked baggage to be a security risk and banned them.

According to the new ICAO rules, trackers are now allowed if the batteries do not exceed a lithium content of 0.3 grams. In addition, an output of 2.7 watt hours (Wh) must not be exceeded. The devices must still be protected against damage. All of these criteria apply to common batteries such as CR2032 button cells used in the AirTags or similar trackers.

“The existing, strict safety regulations continue to apply to larger lithium batteries,” said the spokesman. “They can overheat if damaged or subjected to extreme stress and, in the worst case, cause fires.” These devices may be transported in checked baggage up to a lithium content of two grams, but must be completely switched off. They should also not be in a sleep or hibernation state. For safety reasons, larger lithium batteries would only have to be carried in hand luggage.

Apple’s AirTags, Samsung’s SmartTags and similar devices from manufacturers such as Tile, Chipolo, eufy Security and Pebblebee communicate via Bluetooth radio with any neighboring smartphone that is compatible with the respective system. The location of the small mobile tracker can then be determined via the GPS location of the smartphone.

dpa

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