# DGCA bans MOBIKINS MK-PB-04 power bank on all flights 2026-10-14T17:31:42+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has banned the MOBIKINS MK-PB-04 model of power bank on all flights in the country, effective immediately. The ban applies to cabin baggage, check-in baggage, and cargo. Airlines have been instructed to identify and prevent the model from being carried on aircraft. The move follows an incident on 11 October 2026 on an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Chennai, when a passenger's power bank caught fire in an overhead luggage compartment. The aircraft was diverted to Hyderabad, where it landed safely. All 191 passengers and crew were unharmed. Aaj Tak reports the fire, while Bhaskar reports that the same model was involved. Separately, on 13 October 2026, an IndiGo flight from Hyderabad to Srinagar returned to the parking bay before takeoff after a passenger's power bank was found in check-in baggage. In May 2026, another IndiGo flight had a power bank blast that injured five passengers. The DGCA has not banned all power banks, only the specific MOBIKINS model. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Aaj Tak leads with the DGCA ban on the specific power bank model, framing the action as a clear safety measure. Bhaskar leads with the 13 October incident of a flight returning to parking, giving greater weight to a near-miss event. Aaj Tak downplays the separate 13 October incident by not mentioning it, while Bhaskar gives it top billing. Both outlets are neutral in tone, but Aaj Tak emphasises the regulator's swift response, whereas Bhaskar foregrounds the recurring risk. The uniform coverage of the 11 October fire provides the factual anchor. The key open question is whether the DGCA will extend the ban to other models or manufacturers. May 2026 blast with five injured shows a pattern the regulator is acting on. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - aajtak.in (neutral report) Leads with the DGCA ban, gives clear factual details. - bhaskar.com (neutral report) Leads with 13 October parking incident, frames risk as ongoing. This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Tags: Delhi, DGCA, Hyderabad, IndiGo, MOBIKINS Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/dgca-bans-mobikins-mk-pb-04-power-bank-on-all-flights/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/dgca-bans-mobikins-mk-pb-04-power-bank-on-all-flights/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/