Southwest limits power banks

Southwest Airlines will let passengers bring only one portable charger on board starting April 20, tightening a rule that had allowed up to 20 spare batteries in carry-on bags. (nytimes.com) The airline’s current help-center page says travelers may carry up to 20 spare batteries, including power banks, as long as they stay in a carry-on or on the passenger and most lithium-ion batteries do not exceed 100 watt-hours. That page also says power banks must be visible when used on board and cannot be packed in checked luggage. (southwest.com) Associated Press, in a report carried by NBC New York on April 8, said Southwest’s new policy also bars storing portable chargers in overhead bins and bars recharging them with in-seat power. The report said the airline plans to emphasize the rule during booking and at the airport instead of searching bags and confiscating extra chargers. (nbcnewyork.com) Federal rules already require power banks to stay out of checked baggage because they use lithium-ion cells, which can overheat and enter “thermal runaway,” a chain reaction that can produce smoke, fire, and extreme heat. The Federal Aviation Administration says passengers must keep spare lithium batteries in the cabin and protect the terminals from short circuit. (faa.gov) The Transportation Security Administration gives the same baseline rule: power banks are allowed in carry-on bags and prohibited in checked bags. Southwest’s one-charger cap goes beyond that federal floor by limiting how many a traveler may bring, not just where the device can be packed. (tsa.gov; faa.gov) Airlines have been tightening battery rules after a rise in onboard incidents tied to rechargeable devices. The Associated Press report said the Federal Aviation Administration recorded 97 lithium-battery incidents in 2025, and UL Standards & Engagement reported a 42 percent increase in incidents involving portable chargers that year. (nbcnewyork.com) The same report linked the new restrictions to recent cabin-fire scares, including an emergency landing by a Spirit Airlines flight after a battery fire in an overhead bin and the January 2025 Air Busan fire in South Korea that forced 176 people to evacuate. Those cases pushed airlines and regulators toward rules that keep batteries where crews can see them and reach them quickly. (nbcnewyork.com) For travelers, the change lands hardest on people who carry multiple backup batteries for long travel days, older phones, or flights without reliable seat power. Starting April 20, Southwest passengers will need to choose one charger and keep it close at hand. (nytimes.com; nbcnewyork.com)