Airlines and aviation regulators are introducing stricter controls on portable power banks amid rising concerns over fire risks linked to lithium batteries on aircraft.
In March 2026, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) issued updated safety guidelines for lithium battery-powered devices.
The measures restrict passengers to carrying no more than two power banks and ban their use for charging during flights.
They also reaffirm that such devices are not permitted in checked baggage and must be transported in cabin luggage only.
The new rules come in response to a series of recent safety incidents involving portable chargers.
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On Tuesday, May 27, 2026, an EasyJet flight operating from Egypt to the United Kingdom was diverted to Rome after crew discovered a power bank actively charging inside a passenger’s luggage during the flight.
The aircraft had been in the air for nearly three hours before the diversion and landed roughly 20 minutes later.
In November 2025, a passenger at Melbourne International Airport sustained burns to the leg and fingers after a lithium power bank ignited in their pocket.
Safety records from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) show 29 incidents so far in 2026 involving smoke, fire or extreme heat on flights to or from the United States that were linked to power banks. In 2025, the FAA recorded 97 such cases, a 94 percent increase compared with 2024.
Aviation authorities say the tougher rules are designed to reduce the likelihood of lithium battery thermal runaway, a condition that can rapidly escalate into fire in the confined environment of an aircraft cabin.