## Power Bank Purge: Airports Battle Uncertified Chargers, Where Do They Go?
**By CNBC AI News | June 30th**
A new directive from the Civil Aviation Administration has sent ripples through air travel, with passengers now barred from carrying power banks that lack proper 3C certification, display unclear markings, or are part of recalled batches on domestic flights, effective June 28th. This stringent regulation has prompted intensified scrutiny at airport security checkpoints, leading to a surge in confiscated power banks. Passengers faced with non-compliant devices have the options of relinquishing them or paying for temporary storage.
Reports from several airports paint a vivid picture of the crackdown. One major terminal, by 8 AM, had already collected three large bins overflowing with voluntarily abandoned power banks. The burning question on many minds: what happens to this mountain of defunct devices? Airport authorities have offered some clarity on their fate.
Customer service representatives at Beijing Capital International Airport confirmed that power banks without the essential 3C certification are indeed prohibited. Should these items be flagged at security, passengers have a few avenues: they can hand them over to a departing friend or family member. Alternatively, they might explore courier services for mailing the power banks. Failure to find a suitable alternative, however, means the power bank must be surrendered. In such cases, Beijing Capital International Airport indicated that these discarded items might be offered for sale through charity auctions, with the proceeds subsequently remitted to the national treasury.
Meanwhile, other airports have implemented varying storage policies. Xi’an Xianyang International Airport offers luggage storage services within its terminals for a daily fee of approximately $1.40 USD (10 RMB) for up to seven days. Beyond this period, the airport reserves the right to dispose of the power banks, citing their inherent risks and the impracticality of prolonged storage.
Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport provides another option: temporary storage at their lost and found department, also with a daily fee of around $1.40 USD (10 RMB), with passengers receiving a storage receipt. However, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport’s security personnel stated that due to the flammable nature of power banks, temporary storage is not offered. Passengers are advised to have them collected by their escorts or send them via courier. If a passenger chooses to abandon their power bank, it will be handed over to a specialized disposal company for processing.
Adding a layer of intrigue to this situation, a noticeable increase in “airport source” power banks has emerged on second-hand online marketplaces, often advertised at remarkably low prices. Sellers claim these items are sourced directly from airport security confiscations. While it’s plausible that some of these vendors genuinely acquired their stock from airport channels, a more concerning trend has surfaced: consumers purchasing these “airport-seized” power banks have reported receiving faulty products, some exhibiting swollen batteries or physical damage, often marketed as “three-no” products (no manufacturer, no quality certificate, no instructions). This has raised suspicions that some sellers are exploiting the “airport confiscation” narrative as a marketing ploy to offload substandard or counterfeit merchandise.
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