Airlines limit power banks
New safety guidance has pushed airlines to enforce a strict two‑power‑bank limit per passenger, ban in‑flight charging, and require power banks to be carried within reach rather than stowed — so your usual charger pouch might need rethinking. (Wego’s travel blog summarizes the ICAO‑inspired rules: two power banks maximum, no charging in flight, and keep batteries accessible in the cabin.) (blog.wego.com).
Your backup battery is turning into a seat-pocket item, not a packed-away travel accessory. The International Civil Aviation Organization changed its global dangerous-goods instructions on March 27, 2026, and the new rule took effect the same day. (icao.int) The new ceiling is two power banks per passenger, and passengers are no longer allowed to recharge those power banks during the flight. Cabin crew can still use them when the battery is needed for aircraft operations. (icao.int) This is about fire, not convenience. The Federal Aviation Administration says lithium batteries can catch fire if they are damaged or if their terminals short-circuit, and fires are easier to spot and fight in the cabin than in checked baggage. (faa.gov) That is why spare batteries were already banned from checked luggage before this latest change. The Federal Aviation Administration says power banks, portable rechargers, and other spare lithium batteries must stay with the passenger in carry-on baggage and remain accessible. (faa.gov) “Accessible” is the part that will change how people pack. If your carry-on gets gate-checked, the Federal Aviation Administration says you must pull the power bank out before the bag goes below, which is the same logic airlines are now applying to overhead-bin storage. (faa.gov) The size rules still matter too. The International Air Transport Association says lithium-ion batteries are judged by watt-hours, which is the battery’s energy rating, and that number is supposed to be printed on the case. (iata.org) For most travelers, the important cutoff is 100 watt-hours. The International Air Transport Association’s passenger guidance says if airline staff cannot verify the watt-hour rating on the battery or in the product paperwork, the airline may refuse to carry it. (iata.org) The industry is tightening these rules as battery incidents keep showing up in safety data. The Federal Aviation Administration’s safety bulletin says lithium batteries stored in overhead bins or inside carry-on bags can be obscured, harder to access, and harder to monitor if they overheat. (faa.gov) So the practical packing rule for 2026 is simple: bring no more than two power banks, keep them in the cabin, keep them where you can reach them fast, and do not plug them in once the aircraft door closes. Airlines can still add stricter house rules on top of the global baseline, which is why checking your carrier’s page before you fly is now part of packing. (icao.int) (faa.gov) (iata.org)
