Last year portable chargers, a commonly packed item that provides extra power for electronics, began appearing on the no-no lists for flyers.
Lithium batteries can be lifesavers for travelers who need more juice on the go, but they're an imperfect technology that can overheat and start fires.
That's why the Federal Aviation Administration changed its guidance to forbid the devices from all checked baggage, mandating the batteries must be placed in carry-on luggage only, where unexpected fires are easier to address quickly. The move made luggage designed for built-in battery packs instantly useless for many trips.
The FAA's 2025 rule could be summed up as "pack power banks where you can keep an eye on them."
Last spring, Southwest Airlines went even further, demanding that passengers not place portable chargers in the overhead bins at all. Instead, passengers must keep the devices with them at their seats.
Even with the new rules in place, there were 85 incidents involving lithium batteries in the United States in 2025. Abroad, two of the worst incidents involving suspected battery fires engulfed the cabins of planes flown by Air China and Air Busan.
Bans on portable batteries are expanding
Clearly, the prohibitions have not been enough to stop onboard fires.
So this week, the airlines in Lufthansa Group have moved to forbid the in-flight usage of power banks altogether.
The prohibition applies not only to Lufthansa, but also to Swiss International Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Air Dolomiti, Edelweiss Air, Eurowings, Discover Airlines, SunExpress, and ITA Airways.
"Charging and using power banks is prohibited. An exception is made for use with approved medical devices," Lufthansa now warns on its website.
Furthermore, all the airlines in the Lufthansa Group have made like Southwest and are now requiring passengers to keep batteries at their seats—even though travelers won't be allowed to use the power banks to charge devices during flights.
"Power banks must not be stowed in the overhead locker above the seats," according to Lufthansa's posted rules change. "For safety reasons, please store your power banks under the seat in front of you or in its seat pocket, on your person or in your hand luggage."
But Lufthansa and its airlines are taking the power bank ban even further.
From now on, "for power banks with a battery power greater than 100 Wh up to the maximum 160 Wh, transport approval from the airline is required."
To get approval to carry a battery stronger than 100 Wh, passengers must obtain clearance when booking the flight by contacting the Lufthansa Service Center.
The ban on batteries stronger than 100 Wh has also been adopted in parts of Asia, where Singapore Airlines implemented the same rule last April.
Find out if your power bank is allowed on aircraft
In addition to the 11 airlines of the Lufthansa Group, the following carriers now ban or severely restrict even the presence of power banks: Air Busan, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Hong Kong Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air, Starlux Airlines, Thai Airways, and Tigerair.
Check with each airline for its specific set of rules.
Europe is generally years ahead of the United States in safety and consumer travel rights. So far, none of the major U.S. airlines has implemented a ban on using these batteries during flights—but that doesn't mean you won't be seeing more bans soon.
According to the UK-based Metro, "Airlines such as British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, and Ryanair are all yet to introduce their own bans, however, with the trend moving its way into Europe, it’s possible that they could soon follow suit."
Often, the strength of power banks is expressed in milliamp hours (mAh) instead of the Watt hours (Wh) mentioned by airlines.
To convert mAh to Wh and find out whether your external battery will be allowed, you may have to break out your arithmetic skills. United Airlines' safety page explains you can determine wattage if you "multiply the battery’s voltage (V) by its capacity in ampere-hours (Ah), or (V) x (Ah) = (Wh)."
But if math is just another four-letter word to you, at least find out your device's voltage and use the conversion tables provided by Anker, a battery manufacturer, or the wattage calculator provided by Goal Zero, another manufacturer.