Power banks on planes: the 2026 rules
New global rules cap how many power banks you can bring, ban charging them in flight, and keep them out of the hold. Here's why the restrictions exist — and a quick check to see if yours is allowed on board.
Lithium batteries can catch fire in the air
A power bank is a lithium-ion battery. A damaged, faulty or overheated cell can go into "thermal runaway" — a self-feeding reaction that ignites, is hard to put out and can reignite. Regulators tightened the rules after a steep rise in onboard battery fires.
Thermal runaway
An internal short circuit heats the cell until it vents flammable gas and catches fire — within seconds, and often without warning.
Power banks lead the incidents
The FAA has logged 700+ verified lithium-battery air incidents in two decades — a record of around 97 in 2025 — and power banks are roughly 40% of them.
High energy, carried loose
Power banks store a lot of energy, are often uncertified, and get crushed or short-circuited loose in a bag — the worst-case conditions for a fire.
Cabin only — never in checked baggage
In the cabin, crew can see smoke and reach a fire in seconds with an extinguisher or a thermal-containment bag. In the cargo hold a battery fire could grow undetected. Spare lithium batteries — and a power bank counts as one — have always had to fly in the cabin.
No charging it — or charging devices with it — in flight
A power bank runs hottest exactly when it is charging or discharging, which is when a weak cell is most likely to fail. Keeping it switched off, in view and within reach means overheating is spotted at once instead of smouldering in an overhead bin.
Charging your phone is still fine
The ban is on the power bank being active. Plugging your phone straight into the aircraft's own USB port or seat power is unaffected — just bring a cable.
One global baseline, stricter airline versions on top
The watt-hour limits below have applied for years. What is new for 2025–2026 is the quantity cap, the no-charging rule and where you must stow the battery.
ICAO
The UN aviation body. Its Dangerous Goods rules set the global baseline that takes effect 27 March 2026: power banks in the cabin only, no in-flight recharging, kept accessible.
IATA
The airline trade body. It publishes the Dangerous Goods Regulations airlines operate to, and issued the operator guidance for the March 2026 change.
National regulators
The FAA and TSA (US), EASA (EU), the CAAC (China) and others turn the standard into law and enforce it at the checkpoint.
Your airline
Each airline's own conditions of carriage can be stricter than the baseline — for example one power bank instead of two. Always check the airline you are flying.
Is the size allowed?
Power banks are rated in watt-hours (Wh). Three bands decide whether yours can fly:
- Carry it in the cabin — never in checked baggage.
- Keep it accessible (seat pocket or under the seat), not in the overhead bin.
- Protect the terminals (a pouch, the original box, or tape) so it can't short-circuit.
- Leave damaged, swollen or unlabelled power banks at home — they should never fly.
Is my power bank allowed?
Enter what's printed on your power bank and we'll work out the watt-hours and whether it can fly.
Use the cell voltage (usually 3.6–3.7 V), not the 5 V USB output.
Enter a number to check.
Where to find these numbers
- Look on the body of the power bank or its box. Many now print the watt-hours (e.g. "74 Wh") directly — if yours does, use that.
- If it only shows mAh, multiply by the cell voltage and divide by 1000. Use the nominal cell voltage (3.6–3.7 V), not the 5 V USB output.
- Rule of thumb at 3.7 V: 100 Wh ≈ 27,000 mAh and 160 Wh ≈ 43,000 mAh. So up to ~27,000 mAh is fine, ~27,000–43,000 mAh needs approval, and above that can't fly.
Some airlines are stricter
Many carriers moved before the March 2026 baseline, and some allow only one power bank. A sample:
Rules change often and vary by route — always confirm with your airline before you fly.
Power bank FAQ
Yes. A 20,000 mAh power bank is about 74 Wh at 3.7 V, well under the 100 Wh limit, so it's allowed in your carry-on with no approval. Keep it accessible and don't charge it in flight.
A power bank runs hottest while charging or discharging, which is when a faulty cell is most likely to fail. New ICAO rules (effective 27 March 2026) require it to stay off, visible and within reach so any overheating is noticed immediately.
No. Power banks are spare lithium batteries and must travel in the cabin only, never in checked or hold baggage, so crew can respond if one overheats.
The ICAO baseline keeps them in the cabin and many airlines cap it at two. Some — such as Emirates and Southwest — allow only one. Batteries of 100–160 Wh are limited to two and need airline approval.
Look for a Wh figure printed on the device or box. If only mAh is shown, multiply by the cell voltage (3.6–3.7 V) and divide by 1000: e.g. 20,000 mAh × 3.7 ÷ 1000 = 74 Wh. Don't use the 5 V USB output figure.
Get a vacuum-pack plan tuned to your trip, your airline's baggage limits and the local weather.