Lufthansa bans AirTags, Apple tags for identifying luggage

The airline no longer allows its passengers to attach Airtags to their luggage. The transmission performance of Apple’s geolocation devices can be dangerous on an airplane.

A break for summer has come from finding luggage thanks to geolocation beacons. However, airline Lufthansa chose to ban AirTags from Apple. Based on the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the German company has identified these devices as dangerous. Hence they must be quenched before being put on hold.

Interference with the proper functioning of the aircraft

After the rumor spread on social media, a Twitter user put the question directly to the company. The airline confirmed the ban on the devices: “Lufthansa prohibits activated Airtags in baggage because they are classified as dangerous and must be deactivated.”

Contacted by Tech&Co, airline Lufthansa confirmed the ban on all geolocation devices. Undoubtedly, the emission of frequencies – which detect objects to which they are attached – can disrupt the proper functioning of aircraft. “We are only following ICAO recommendations,” assured a Tech&Co spokesperson. However, as of now, the company has not specified which text it specifically refers to.

Troubled by lost luggage?

However, the German company’s claims are unacceptable AppleInsider website, consulted several experts in the field of aviation. First, the regulations enforced by the airline only apply to large devices like MacBooks. Then, the AirTag does not use a lithium-ion battery, which is covered by regulations, but only a button cell.

A media specialist in the American brand of products confirms that in the event of a ban on Airtags, connected watches that use the same type of cells to work should also be banned. But they are not. According to these experts, the ban is linked to the airline’s embarrassment when it comes to losing luggage with a geolocation system.

Since the release of AirTags in spring 2021, many customers have slipped the accessory into their suitcase to detect damage in real time. In social networks, publications of Internet users questioning the tracking of airlines, multiplied along with screenshots of the location of their luggage, sometimes undermined the latter’s communication.