Power Banks: Travel and Flight Rules

Power banks are allowed on flights, but the rules are more layered than most travellers expect: a universal watt-hour limit, a strict carry-on-only rule, and, since a global aviation standard took effect on 27 March 2026, a hard two-unit cap with no in-flight recharging anywhere in the world. On top of that global floor, individual airlines and countries add their own extra layers, from in-flight use bans to, in China’s case, a separate certification requirement that catches out most foreign travellers who have never heard of it. This guide covers what applies everywhere, what varies by airline and region, and the one country where a perfectly compliant power bank can still be confiscated.

Watt-Hour Limits: What You Can Actually Bring

Every airline in the world works from the same baseline capacity tiers, set by aviation safety regulators and adopted into each carrier’s own rules:

Most power banks list capacity in mAh (milliamp-hours) rather than Wh, so you’ll likely need to convert. The formula is (mAh × voltage) ÷ 1,000, using the standard lithium-ion nominal voltage of 3.7V. A 20,000mAh power bank works out to around 74Wh, comfortably under the 100Wh line. A 50,000mAh unit comes to around 185Wh, over the ban threshold and not flyable at all under any circumstances. Many power banks print the Wh rating directly on the casing alongside the mAh figure; if yours only shows mAh, do the conversion before you pack it.

Carry-On Only, Never Checked Baggage

This rule has no exceptions and predates the recent wave of stricter airline policies. Power banks, and spare lithium-ion batteries generally, must travel in the cabin, never in checked luggage. The reasoning is about response time: a battery fire in the cabin is visible immediately and crew can act within seconds, while the same fire in a pressurised, unsupervised cargo hold can burn undetected until it has already spread. If your carry-on bag ends up gate-checked because the overhead bins are full, remove the power bank first and carry it into the cabin separately.

Airline-Specific Rules: The Global Baseline and What Airlines Add

On 27 March 2026, an addendum to ICAO’s Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air took effect across all 193 ICAO member states: every passenger is capped at two power banks, and recharging one in flight is banned outright, regardless of airline or country. This is a global regulatory floor, not an airline choosing to be strict.

Individual airlines and countries have been layering further restrictions on top of that floor since 2025, following a string of in-flight lithium battery incidents, including a January 2025 fire aboard an Air Busan aircraft and an October 2025 incident on an Air China flight that prompted the FAA to issue a formal safety alert in September 2025. The most common additions: banning charging a device from a power bank mid-flight (on top of the ICAO ban on recharging the power bank itself), and requiring it stay visible in a seat pocket, on your lap, or under the seat in front of you rather than in the overhead bin, where a fire would go unnoticed for longer.

These extra layers vary by carrier and change often, so treat the following as a starting point and confirm directly with your airline before flying, especially on connecting itineraries that cross multiple carriers.

European Union

EASA, the EU’s aviation safety regulator, issued official guidance in 2025 recommending carry-on-only storage, no overhead bin, and avoiding in-flight use across all EU airlines. Lufthansa Group, covering Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings, turned that into a hard rule from 15 January 2026: a maximum of two power banks under 100Wh, in-flight use banned outright, and the device required to stay under the seat. Separately, the EU’s Battery Regulation introduces a “battery passport” requirement from 2027, but that applies to e-bike, industrial, and electric vehicle batteries, not consumer power banks; it has no bearing on what you can fly with.

United States

The FAA/TSA baseline is the standard tiers above, carry-on-only, with no airline-specific cap by default. American Airlines has gone further with a hard policy from 1 May 2026: two power banks per passenger, each under 100Wh (it doesn’t offer the 100 to 160Wh approval path other airlines do), no overhead bin storage, and no in-flight charging. Delta, United, Southwest, JetBlue, and Alaska were still on the older, looser framework as of this writing, though United separately banned overhead bin storage for power banks from 1 March 2026. Expect the stricter pattern to keep spreading across US carriers.

Japan

A nationwide directive from Japan’s transport ministry takes effect 24 April 2026 (Japan time) and directly binds Japanese carriers JAL and ANA on both domestic and international flights: power banks are capped at two units under 160Wh, and both charging a device from one and recharging one in flight are prohibited. Foreign airlines flying into Japan aren’t directly bound by this rule and set their own policies, so check with your specific carrier. Japan also has a PSE mark, its own electrical safety certification, but that only matters if you’re buying a power bank in Japan (it flags counterfeits); it isn’t checked against a device you bring in, unlike China’s rule below. For arrival logistics and what else changes at the airport, see the Japan airport guide.

South Korea

Since 1 March 2025, Korean carriers including Korean Air, Asiana, and Jeju Air require power banks to travel carry-on only with the terminals covered by tape or stored in a protective pouch, plus airline approval obtained at the check-in counter, which issues an identification sticker for expedited security screening. No overhead bin storage, no in-flight charging. Korea also has a KC certification mark, similar in spirit to China’s CCC mark, but as of this writing it’s still a proposed requirement for manufacturers selling power banks in Korea, under consultation and not yet adopted; it isn’t something checked against a traveller’s own device at security.

Singapore

Singapore Airlines and its budget arm Scoot both prohibit using a power bank to charge a device during the flight, on top of the ICAO floor. Keep it accessible rather than stowed overhead. See the Singapore airport guide for the rest of what to expect on arrival.

Thailand

Thai Airways and several other carriers serving Thailand have introduced similar in-flight charging restrictions. Confirm the current policy with your specific carrier before you fly, since enforcement and exact wording differ airline to airline. See the Bangkok airport guide for what else to plan around on arrival.

China: The CCC Certification Rule

China’s rule is a different kind of restriction altogether, and it catches out more travellers than any Wh limit. Since 28 June 2025, China’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) has banned any power bank without a visible CCC mark, China’s mandatory product safety certification, from domestic flights within mainland China. The mark has to be printed or engraved on the device casing itself, not on the packaging or a removable sticker, and it has to sit alongside a clearly legible Wh or mAh capacity rating.

The part that trips people up: international certifications don’t count as a substitute. A power bank carrying UL, CE, or FCC marks, the standard certifications for the US, Europe, and most of the rest of the world, will still be confiscated if it doesn’t also carry the CCC mark, regardless of how well within the Wh limit it is. Confiscation at the security checkpoint is final. There is no appeal process and generally no way to get the device back.

The scope of the rule is officially domestic flights only. Landing in Beijing or Shanghai on an international flight doesn’t itself trigger a CCC check. But if any leg of your trip is a domestic flight within China, such as an international arrival into Shanghai followed by a domestic connection to Chengdu, Xi’an, or Guilin, that domestic leg requires a CCC-marked power bank. Since almost no power bank bought outside China carries this mark, the practical advice for anyone flying domestically within China is to buy a power bank locally (CCC-certified units are sold everywhere) and leave a foreign-bought one out of your carry-on for that leg of the trip.

Airport Security: What to Expect

Power banks go through the X-ray scanner in your carry-on like any other electronic item, no separate bin required in most countries. What security staff are actually checking for is a legible capacity rating and an undamaged casing: a worn-off label, a swollen or dented unit, or a battery that shows signs of previous damage can get flagged and set aside for further questions even if the capacity itself is compliant. For a sense of what a typical security lane looks like end to end, see the Bali airport guide.

If Your Power Bank Doesn’t Meet the Rules

If your power bank is over 160Wh, missing a legible label, or (for domestic China flights) lacking a CCC mark, the simplest fix is to leave it at home and buy a compliant one at your destination. Power banks are sold at convenience stores, electronics retailers, and airport shops in almost every country covered on this site, usually cheaply, and a locally bought unit sidesteps every certification question in one move.