No Apple AirTags In Checked Baggage? Major World Airline Was Forced To Take A U-Turn Last Year

Days after it banned Apple's AirTags from flights in October 2022, Lufthansa said that the tracking devices made by the Cupertino-based company are allowed.

What Happened: Lufthansa tweeted in mid-October that trackers were allowed on flights and added, “tracking devices with very low battery and transmission power in checked luggage do not pose a safety risk.”

On Oct. 9, 2022, Lufthansa announced that it had banned activated AirTags from luggage as they were classified as dangerous and need to be deactivated.

The airline later added that "according to ICAO guidelines, baggage trackers are subject to the dangerous goods regulations. Furthermore, due to their transmission function, the trackers must be deactivated during the flight if they are in checked baggage and cannot be used as a result."

Lufthansa's statements about International Civilian Aviation Organization, or ICAO, guidelines were found to be misinterpreted. The ICAO regulation cited by the airline is about devices like MacBook Pro that consist of more than two grams of lithium. In contrast, an AirTag uses a battery with about 0.2 grams of lithium — almost minuscule to be considered dangerous under the guidelines, reported Apple Insider in October.

This story was originally published on Oct. 13, 2022.

Check out more of Benzinga’s Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs