Passengers are being urged to keep power banks in their hand luggage following two recent incidents on aircraft, as travel expert Emily Matthews warns of the fire risk posed by lithium batteries.
Recent incidents highlight danger
On July 24, a power bank stored in an overhead compartment caught fire during a China Eastern Airlines flight. Days later, a Swiss International Air Lines flight to New York was diverted after smoke appeared in the cabin. Investigators found that a wireless headphone charging case with a built-in power bank had slipped into a seat, become trapped, and overheated after being damaged by pressure.
Emily Matthews, travel expert at Private Portugal Tours, says these incidents show why portable chargers should never be treated like an ordinary cable or travel adaptor.
Expert advice and regulations
She said: “Power banks are incredibly useful on holiday, particularly when phones are being used for boarding passes, maps, bookings and photographs. But they contain lithium batteries, which can overheat or catch fire if they are damaged, defective or short-circuited. Where you pack one matters far more than most passengers realise.”
The UK Civil Aviation Authority says power banks, vapes, and spare lithium batteries should always travel in hand luggage so that cabin crew can respond quickly if they begin to overheat. A battery fire inside the hold can be much more difficult to detect and access.
European aviation guidance similarly states that power banks must never be packed in checked baggage and should be protected individually to prevent short circuits. It said: “Do not pack your power bank in your suitcase simply because you do not expect to use it during the journey. If cabin baggage is taken from you at the gate and placed in the hold, remove the power bank, spare batteries and vape devices first. Keep them with you in the smaller bag that remains in the cabin.”
Potential delays and tighter rules
The CAA warns that luggage containing prohibited batteries may need to be removed from the aircraft, potentially causing delays, cancellations, or diversions that disrupt hundreds of passengers.
Keeping a power bank in hand luggage is only the first step. It should also remain somewhere accessible, rather than buried beneath clothes in an overhead suitcase. International power bank rules were tightened in March 2026. The International Civil Aviation Organisation now limits travellers to no more than two power banks each and prohibits passengers from recharging them during a flight.
Passengers should also check the watt-hour rating printed on the device. Standard power banks of up to 100Wh are generally permitted, while larger models may require approval. Devices exceeding airline limits may be refused. The CAA says reports involving overheating or malfunctioning passenger devices nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025. It estimates that lithium-battery incidents now occur globally around twice each week.
