Passengers who have recently flown with Luftansa, the largest German airline, have found themselves with a new ban. The company now prevents you from carrying a Apple AirTag activated in your suitcase, so you will not be able to track the location of your luggage in case of loss. Lufthansa says that they are only complying with civil aviation regulations. However, many experts say the airline is misreading the rules.
No AirTags on Lufthansa planes
One of the most unpleasant things that can happen to you in an airport is that your suitcase is lost. It does not matter if the company you fly with is premium or low cost. The probability that your luggage will not reach its destination is always there, and increases the greater the number of stops you make.
A little over a year ago, Apple wanted to solve this problem with AirTags in its own way. These small devices are placed in our everyday objects and make it easy to find them with iPhone. It is the perfect complement to a backpack, purse or travel suitcase. Since then, AirTags have become the perfect solution to see in real time where our Baggage.
A rule that has little to do with prohibition
Lufthansa considers AirTags to be dangerous. So much so that they have started ban your customers boarding their planes with these smart trackers. According to the Germans, the AirTags do not comply with the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organization. However, if that is true… Why is Lufthansa the only airline that has made this decision? Lufthansa defends itself with these words:
«According to ICAO guidelines, baggage trackers are subject to dangerous goods regulations. In addition, due to their transmission function, the trackers must be deactivated during the flight if they are in checked baggage and therefore cannot be used.»
Lufthansa does not want its customers to know where their luggage is
All that defense sounds great, but the reality is that the regulations they mention do not apply to AirTags. But let’s go by parts:
AirTags work like low power transmitters. They do not have enough power to interfere with commercial aircraft communication systems.
On the other hand, Lufthansa has also made reference to the fact that they use batteries. It is also wrong. AirTags use CR2032 button cell batteries. They are not lithium ion batteries, so the regulations do not apply in this case either. If they were dangerous, it would also be illegal to board a plane with a watch on your wrist. In any case, it seems that the company will let you fly if you remove the battery from the device.
The middle AppleInsider has interviewed several international aviation experts and they seem to have it very clear. The German airline has interpreted the law in its own way. In fact, one of the experts stated emphatically that what Lufthansa is looking for is that its customers do not have tools to remove their colors in the event of lost luggage.
