Last week it became known that Lufthansa was not allowing the use of Apple Airbags in suitcases in aircraft holds.
The decision could be seen in a series of tweets that the airline published in response to queries from users who had been faced with this limitation on their flights by the airline.
However, this Tuesday, October 11, Lufthansa says it never banned Apple labels.
In the responses to the consultation tweets, which are still available In the account of the German airline, the company said that, since the AirTags have batteries and are transmitting devices, they were considered hazardous material and, therefore, their use was prohibited in checked baggage.
As expected, users on social networks did not believe Lufthansa’s argument and considered that, in truth, The ban sought to prevent travelers from knowing the precise whereabouts of their luggage in the hold.
Hi David, Lufthansa is banning activated AirTags from luggage as they are classified as dangerous and need to be turned off./Mony
— Lufthansa (@lufthansa) October 8, 2022
AirTags and the airline Lufthansa
After the controversy that began on social networks and spread to the media in Europe, and knowing that no other airline made the same decision, the German company backed down and announced that it has not prohibited the use of AirTags. on their flights. At least not for now.
In a note sent to Airways Magazinea media outlet specializing in commercial airlines, the airline said that “AirTags had not been banned.”
He also said that the company had not published guidelines or regulations to ban them.
This explanation does not coincide with the tweets that the firm’s communication and marketing department enabled to be published on the brand’s networks saying the opposite.
Beyond the strange clarification, Lufthansa was not specific in relation to the controversy, since in the same text of the communication, it spoke of the ICAO standards on battery-powered transmitter devices that can be carried in hold luggage.
Lufthansa’s communication to Airways Magazine speaks of a regulation of the ICAO about battery-powered devices and clarifies that the airline has no control over that.
In this way, by mentioning the subject, and not clarifying that AirTags are not part of these devices due to their low power, the controversy is still open and everything seems to indicate that the idea of the airlines, at least Lufthansa, could be to advance in that sense.
Antecedent
Six years ago, Star Alliance airlines (a network of which Lufthansa is a part) and RIMOWA teamed up to launch bags with built-in electronic tags.
This product was recalled due to battery fire issues.
AirTags, on the other hand, are not powerful enough to start a fire (they use 3V batteries), nor are their transmitters as powerful.
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