German airline Lufthansa recently caused confusion after telling passengers that trackers like Apple AirTags cannot be used in checked baggage due to international guidelines for personal electronic devices. Apple refused to interpret it on Tuesday, and said that its tracker was compliant with all regulations.
No other airline appears to be requiring passengers to turn off trackers, which have become a popular way to find lost luggage. I found myself in the middle German news media That the device was banned.
Lufthansa said it would not ban devices it deemed safe, but read vague international guidelines and regulations, with no clear consensus on what was and was not allowed in Europe. Based on this, it seems to have fallen into confusion.
US regulators say trackers are allowed as carry-on or checked baggage because they use Bluetooth technology and do not interfere with aircraft communications equipment. Various companies sell similar trackers, such as his Tile, which is popular with Android phone users.
Lufthansa said on sunday On Twitter, he said the tracker should be disabled in checked baggage on flights, citing the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Dangerous Goods guidelines and the tracker’s “transmit function.” Blocking a tracker renders it useless.
The airline has not issued a specific policy banning baggage trackers. On Tuesday, the airline said it was “in close contact with their respective agencies to find a solution as soon as possible.” was also shown.
“The Lufthansa Group has carried out its own risk assessment and has determined that there is no safety risk in carrying tracking devices with very low batteries and transmission power in checked baggage.” It is now the responsibility of the authorities to enforce regulations restricting airline passengers from using these devices as checked baggage.”
In a statement, Apple said AirTags “comply with international airline travel safety regulations for carry-on and checked baggage.”
These devices use Bluetooth Low Energy. This is the same technology commonly used in wireless headphones that are allowed on flights. They are tracked by sharing their last location to nearby Apple devices via a secure signal.
According to Apple, the International Aviation Organization does not have specific standards for cargo tracking devices, and its definition of personal consumer electronics focuses on larger devices such as phones, cameras, and laptops. , tend to have larger lithium batteries.
According to Apple, AirTags use a CR2032 coin cell battery commonly used in watches and key fobs. According to Apple, these batteries are approved for all hand luggage by the Federal Aviation Administration, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the aviation industry body International Air Transport Association.
Ann FAA recommendations from 2017 allow devices Use of low-power radios such as Bluetooth on US aircraft. In a statement Monday, the Transportation Security Administration confirmed Apple’s position that “tracking devices are allowed in both carry-on and checked baggage.”
On Tuesday, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said its rule “does not, per se, prohibit or permit devices such as Apple AirTags.” But he took the issue back to Lufthansa, saying that EASA “is the operator’s responsibility to prohibit the use of equipment that may adversely affect flight safety or aircraft systems.” It seems that.
The International Civil Aviation Organization’s Dangerous Goods specification states that “batteries contained in portable electronic devices must be carried as carry-on baggage”, but if checked, “power the device completely off”. (not in sleep or hibernate mode).” It wasn’t immediately clear how the guidelines would address the issue of Bluetooth Low Energy transmission.
But the organization also said in a statement that it is not a regulator and “does not act as an oversight” for airlines. , similar advice from the International Trade Group travels to policy-setting regulators and airlines.