--- title: "Power Banks on Planes: 2026 Airline Rules | Wimup" description: "The international rules for power banks on flights, and what Emirates, flydubai, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Southwest and others now ban on board." url: https://wimup.com/guide/power-banks type: Travel guide updated: 2026-11-14 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Power banks on planes: the airline rules in 2026 A string of cabin fires has led airlines to tighten the rules on portable chargers. You can still bring one, but on a growing list of airlines you cannot use it. By the Wimup desk · 5 min read · Before you fly · Security ## Quick answer Power banks must go in your hand luggage, never in checked bags. Up to 100 Wh is allowed everywhere, 100 to 160 Wh needs the airline's approval, and anything larger is banned. Since 2025 many airlines, including Emirates, flydubai, Singapore Airlines, Qantas and Southwest, have also banned using or charging them on board, or limited how many you can carry. ## Why the rules tightened Power banks are lithium-ion batteries, and a damaged, cheap or overcharged one can overheat and catch fire, a failure known as thermal runaway. On the ground that is a nuisance; in a cabin at 35,000 feet it is an emergency. After several fires on board, including one that destroyed an Air Busan aircraft on the ground in South Korea in January 2025, airlines across Asia, the Gulf, Australia and the US tightened their rules during 2025 and 2026. The aim is simple: keep power banks where the crew can see and reach them, and stop them being charged or used, which is when most failures start. ## The rules every airline shares The baseline comes from international dangerous-goods rules and applies on almost every flight: - **Cabin only.** Power banks and spare lithium batteries are banned from checked luggage. If your cabin bag is taken at the gate to go in the hold, take the power bank out first. - **Up to 100 Wh** is allowed without approval. That covers almost every phone power bank: 20,000 mAh at 3.7 V is 74 Wh. - **100 to 160 Wh** needs the airline's approval in advance, and usually a limit of two. - **Over 160 Wh** is not allowed on passenger aircraft. - **Protect the terminals**, in the original packaging, a pouch or with tape, so nothing can short-circuit them. To work out the rating, multiply the capacity in amp-hours by the voltage: 10,000 mAh × 3.7 V ÷ 1,000 = 37 Wh. A power bank with no readable rating label may be refused, and the US [FAA's lithium battery guidance](https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/lithium-batteries?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) sets out the same limits. The same logic covers other batteries. Phones, laptops and cameras with their batteries installed are fine in the cabin. Spare camera and drone batteries count as spare lithium batteries and follow the power-bank rules. Smart suitcases with a built-in battery must have it removable: the battery travels in the cabin, and a bag whose battery cannot be taken out is refused. ## Airline by airline On top of the shared rules, many airlines now restrict use on board. As of November 2026: - Airline: Since: On board - **Emirates**: 1 October 2025: One power bank under 100 Wh. No use, no charging it from the seat, rating label visible - **flydubai**: 1 October 2025: No use or charging; keep it switched off - **Etihad**: 2025: No use on board; not in the overhead locker - **[Singapore](https://wimup.com/city/singapore.md) Airlines, Scoot**: 1 April 2025: No use and no charging on board - **Korean Air, Asiana**: 1 March 2025: No use on board; keep it with you, not in the overhead locker - **Qantas, Jetstar**: 15 December 2025: Two at most; no use or charging - **Virgin Australia**: 1 December 2025: No use or charging; keep it in sight - **Southwest**: 20 April 2026: One per passenger, kept out of the overhead bins - **China, domestic flights**: 28 June 2025: Banned unless it carries the Chinese 3C certification mark Rules change often and differ in detail, for example on whether a power bank may sit in the overhead locker. The [Emirates announcement](https://www.mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2025/august/08-08/emirates-makes-changes-to-safety-rules-for-customer-usage-of-power-banks-onboard?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) is typical of the wording. Check your airline's dangerous-goods page before you fly. ## Flying from Dubai and Abu Dhabi If you fly from [Dubai](https://wimup.com/city/dubai.md) or [Abu Dhabi](https://wimup.com/city/abu-dhabi.md), the two big home carriers and flydubai all ban using power banks on board. Charge your phone fully before you board, and use the seat's USB or power socket instead: Emirates and Etihad fit them across most of their long-haul fleets. The same habit pays on a connection through [Singapore](https://wimup.com/city/singapore.md) with [Singapore](https://wimup.com/city/singapore.md) Airlines or [Seoul](https://wimup.com/city/seoul.md) with Korean Air, both of which ban use on board. ## Travelling with a power bank, the easy way - Carry **one** good power bank under 100 Wh with a clear rating label. It satisfies every airline. - Keep it in the bag under the seat in front, not in the overhead locker, so you can reach it if it overheats. - Charge your devices **before** the flight and use the seat power on board. - Replace any power bank that is swollen, dented, unusually hot or from an unknown brand. - Tell the crew at once if a device or battery gets hot, smokes or smells of burning. Do not try to move it or put it out yourself. i #### If your bag is gate-checked Full flights often take cabin bags at the gate. Before you hand it over, take out your power bank, spare batteries and any e-cigarettes, which must also stay in the cabin. The [carry-on packing guide](https://wimup.com/guide/packing.md) covers the rest of the cabin bag, and the [liquids guide](https://wimup.com/guide/liquids.md) the other rule that changed. #### The short version - Power banks go in the **cabin, never in checked bags**. - **Up to 100 Wh** is fine; 100 to 160 Wh needs approval; over 160 Wh is banned. - **Emirates, flydubai, [Singapore](https://wimup.com/city/singapore.md) Airlines, Qantas** and others ban use on board. - Charge before you fly, and keep the power bank where you can reach it. ## FAQs ### Can I take a power bank on Emirates? Yes, one power bank under 100 Wh in your cabin baggage. Since 1 October 2025 Emirates does not allow you to use it or charge it on board, and it must not go in checked luggage. ### Can I put a power bank in checked luggage? No. Power banks and spare lithium batteries must be carried in the cabin on every airline. ### How many mAh is 100 Wh? At the usual 3.7 volts, 100 Wh is about 27,000 mAh. A 20,000 mAh power bank is about 74 Wh and a 10,000 mAh one about 37 Wh, both under the limit. ### Can I use a power bank on a plane? It depends on the airline. Emirates, flydubai, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air, Qantas and Virgin Australia, among others, ban using power banks on board. Others still allow it. ### Why are airlines banning power banks? Lithium batteries can overheat and catch fire, especially when damaged or charging. After several cabin fires in 2025, airlines moved to stop power banks being used or charged in flight and to keep them where crew can reach them. ## Related how-tos - [The carry-on-only system for a week away](https://wimup.com/guide/packing.md) - [Is the 100 ml liquids rule gone?](https://wimup.com/guide/liquids.md) - [How far ahead should you book flights?](https://wimup.com/guide/booking-flights.md) ## Sources - [FAA's lithium battery guidance](https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/lithium-batteries?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Emirates announcement](https://www.mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2025/august/08-08/emirates-makes-changes-to-safety-rules-for-customer-usage-of-power-banks-onboard?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.