If you’ve been reading travel news in the past day or so, you probably read about the Alaska Airlines flight (operated by Horizon) that had to turn around and make an emergency landing after a passenger’s power bank overheated and caught fire.
According to the FAA, between 2006 and 2025, there were 620 incidents on planes involving lithium batteries, which is what most portable chargers and battery packs use.
In response, the U.S. has placed limits on portable chargers. According to TSA guidelines, any power banks you travel with must be in carry-on or personal luggage, not checked bags. They also have to fall under the 100Wh (roughly 27,000mAh) limit. Anything more powerful than that is subject to airline approval. And, of course, each U.S.-based airline has its own rules about power banks and lithium batteries, which we outlined in this post a few months ago.
Obviously, the risk of a power bank catching fire is a huge safety hazard. A fire onboard is a serious issue just due to risk of losing lives. But a plane having to make an emergency landing, and all those passengers who still need to get to their intended location becomes its own logistical nightmare, too.
The U.S.’s response to these dangers is a good start, but meanwhile, two countries have just announced they will no longer allow the use of in-flight power banks.
South Korea
Effective this past Monday, T’way Air became the last of South Korea’s 11 airlines to prohibit passengers from using power banks to charge electronic devices on board any flight.
Passengers will still be allowed to bring power banks into the cabin, but the terminals must be sealed with insulating tape. The devices are allowed to be placed in a separate pouch but must be within reach at all times. Power banks are also not allowed to be stored in overhead compartments.
Just as in the United States, power banks are not allowed in checked baggage.
Japan
Meanwhile, Japan recently announced that it will ban using power banks on flights as of April 2026.
Higher-capacity batteries exceeding 160Wh will remain prohibited, while devices under this wattage will be limited to 2 per traveler.
Mobile batteries are currently not allowed in checked baggage, nor will they be once the new ban goes into effect in April.
South Korea joins Hong Kong, after their Civil Aviation Department banned passengers from using power banks on flights after a fire on a Hong Kong Airlines flight from Hangzhou in China last March.
Airlines that ban power banks
Although South Korea and Japan are the first two countries to ban the use of power banks on flights entirely, multiple other airlines have already made the same or similar move. Some of them include:
- AirAsia
- Air Astana
- Air Busan
- Cathay Pacific
- China Airlines
- Emirates
- EVA Airways
- Fiji Airways
- Jetstar
- Lufthansa
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas
- Scoot
- Singapore Airlines
- SWISS
- Thai Airways
- Uni Air
- Vietjet Air
- Vietnam Airlines
- Virgin Australia
As incidents involving lithium batteries continue to occur, more airlines—and possibly more countries—are likely to follow suit. For travelers, that means paying closer attention to power bank rules before boarding.
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