Wanna Eat Self-Heating Cup Noodle Or Hot Pot On MAS Flights? Well, It's Banned Now
This also includes heat packs or self-heating packs, as well as quick-and-easy rice and drinks.
By Sabrina Zainal — 16 Feb 2022, 08:09 PM
It was announced this week that self-heating meals or ready-to-eat meals are now banned on all Malaysia Airlines' (MAS) flights with immediate effect
MAS, in a statement on their website, said these items are no longer allowed to be brought on board as either checked-in or cabin baggage "due to safety concerns".
This includes heat packs or self-heating packs, such as quick-and-easy hot pot, rice, and drinks.
"The safety and comfort of passengers and the crew remain of utmost importance to Malaysia Airlines," the company said.
MAS said these items contain dangerous substances
The technology used in self-heating meals — flameless ration heaters — involve substances such as magnesium powder, iron powder, self-burning solid carbon, or corrosive calcium oxide that release flammable gas on contact with water.
This type of chemical reaction can actually heat the food to about 100°C, without any type of visible flame.
In the same way that certain cellular phones and devices are not allowed on planes because their batteries could explode, these self-heating meals are similar
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has done a lot of testing and have stated that these should not be used on an aircraft.
In the FAA report, the release of hydrogen gas from these flameless ration heaters is of a sufficient quantity to pose a potential fire hazard for those onboard an airplane.
The flameless ration heaters could also be accidentally activated inside a confined area such as in an overhead storage bin or a cargo compartment, which could be dangerous as well.
