Southwest limits chargers April 20

Southwest Airlines will let each passenger bring only one portable charger starting April 20, tightening its battery rules beyond the new global baseline. (travel.yahoo.com) The Dallas-based airline said portable chargers also cannot go in overhead bins and cannot be recharged with in-seat power during the flight. Southwest said the devices must stay under the seat or on the passenger’s person so crews can reach them faster if they overheat. (travel.yahoo.com) Southwest’s limit applies to lithium-powered portable chargers, often called power banks, and the airline says each one must be 100 watt-hours or less. The International Air Transport Association says watt-hours are the battery’s power rating and that passengers must be able to verify that rating on the battery case or in product documents. (travel.yahoo.com) (iata.org) The fire risk comes from “thermal runaway,” the chain reaction in which a damaged or short-circuited battery keeps heating itself. The Federal Aviation Administration says airlines, shippers and passengers need lithium-battery safety messaging because these devices can create smoke, fire and extreme heat in flight. (faa.gov) Federal rules already ban spare lithium batteries and power banks from checked bags, which is why airlines focus on how the devices are carried in the cabin. Southwest moved earlier in that direction by requiring portable chargers to remain visible while they are being used onboard. (travel.yahoo.com) The wider rulebook changed on March 27, when the International Civil Aviation Organization approved new specifications for power banks on international flights. The United Nations aviation body now limits passengers to two power banks and bars recharging them during flight. (icao.int) Southwest’s one-charger cap is stricter than that international standard. The International Air Transport Association’s 2026 passenger guidance flags some airline policies as “more restrictive” than the International Civil Aviation Organization rules, giving carriers room to go further. (icao.int) (iata.org) U.S. regulators have been warning carriers about the trend for months. The Federal Aviation Administration’s lithium-battery safety resources say the agency is using its PackSafe, SafeCargo and OperateSafe campaigns to push airlines and travelers to handle the devices more carefully. (faa.gov) For travelers, the practical change starts on Sunday, April 20: one power bank, kept close at hand, with no overhead-bin storage and no topping it up from the seat outlet. Southwest says the point is simple — if a battery starts smoking, crew members need to see it and reach it fast. (travel.yahoo.com)