The ban on packing spare lithium batteries, and power banks containing them, in one’s checked luggage dates back to 2016. At that time, both the Federal Aviation Administration and airlines themselves cracked down on the practice amid a string of in-cabin fires. Almost no major airline enforces similar restrictions on chargers inside the cabin, however.
In May 2025, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines became the first U.S. airline to update its policy to state that any portable chargers used during the flight must be with the passenger and visible rather than kept deep inside a bag or in an overhead compartment.
“Must be visible and not stored in bags”: Southwest Airlines on chargers and portable batteries
“When using a portable charger/power bank onboard, [the item] must be visible (not stored in bags) [and] must not be used to charge devices in overhead bins,” the Southwest policy traveling with lithium batteries now states on its website.
“Do not pack recalled, damaged, or defective batteries, as they can pose a fire hazard,” the policy reads further.
Although their policies have their own nuances, none of the “big three” U.S. airlines of United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, or American Airlines has a similar restriction in place on chargers inside the cabin.
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For each of the three airlines, the policy focuses on lithium batteries in checked luggage, while making no mention of how they should be stored in bags brought inside the cabin.
“Lithium cells or batteries power many consumer electronic devices and medical devices, like watches, laptop batteries, calculators, cell phones, hearing aids and much more,” the Delta policy states.
“You can bring lithium-battery powered devices as carry-on items or in checked baggage. Spare lithium batteries are allowed as carry-on items only with batteries individually protected to prevent short circuit.”
Airlines restrict devices with lithium-powered power banks due to their potential to catch fire.
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This is the latest on bringing chargers and portable power banks on a plane
While this remains the current situation in the U.S., policy changes similar to Southwest’s have also been made by a number of international airlines in Asia.
Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia tweaked its policy last spring to state that any power banks brought inside the cabin must be kept near the passenger. Meanwhile, the governments of South Korea and Hong Kong have both recently passed new regulations targeting the transportation of power banks.
“Sockets of a power bank should be covered with friction tape or put in a protective pouch or a plastic bag (e.g., zipped bag) so they don’t touch other metals,” South Korea’s Ministry of Transport states.
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But with it being difficult to monitor how travelers use or keep their power banks during the flight, most simply reiterate that good practices can help maximize everyone’s safety aboard.
The policy changes were put in place amid a number of in-cabin fires. This week, Australian regulators drew attention to a recent Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Hobart on which passengers heard a “popping and hissing sound” before seeing flames coming from one of the overhead compartments, Australia’s ABC News reported.
Put out with a fire extinguisher so the plane could land without incident, the fire was traced to a power bank that one of the passengers had inside a bag.
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