E-cigarettes only allowed in hand-carry luggage - MAS

Passengers with their electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) will now have to carry them in their hand-carry luggage, says Malaysian Airlines (MAS).

The new rule, however, does not alter the no-smoking rule in cabin, MAS said in a press statement.

MAS said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued a safety alert recommending all airline operators to ensure e-cigarettes be carried by passengers exclusively in the cabin of the aircraft and not in checked baggage.

“Carriage of e-cigarettes in the passenger cabin addresses this safety risk by ensuring that if an incident does occur, it can be immediately identified and mitigated,” MAS said in the statement.

FAA said the new rule is a result of recent fire incidents involving e-cigarettes.