Yes, you can take a power bank on a plane, but only in your carry-on bag, never in your checked luggage. Anything up to 100 Wh, which is about 27,000 mAh, is fine without asking the airline. Most airlines now also limit you to two each, and many no longer let you use or charge them during the flight.
The rules have tightened a lot over the past year, after a run of power bank fires on planes. Here’s what’s allowed now, how to read the label on yours, and how we pack ours so they don’t cause problems at security or on board.
At a Glance
Where
Carry-on only, never checked luggage
How many
Two per person (some airlines allow only one)
Size
Up to 100 Wh (about 27,000 mAh) without airline approval
On board
No using or charging on most airlines. Keep it with you, not in the overhead locker
Why airlines are strict about power banks
Power banks hold lithium-ion batteries, which pack a lot of energy into a small space. They’re safe almost all the time, but if one is damaged, badly made or short-circuits, it can overheat in a way that feeds on itself. This is called thermal runaway: once it starts, the battery can’t cool itself down, and it can catch fire or give off toxic smoke.
In the cabin, crew can see it and deal with it quickly. In a cargo hold, nobody can. That’s why spare lithium batteries, including power banks, have been banned from checked luggage for years (in the US since 2008). What’s new is the limit on how many you can take, and whether you can use them on board.
Two fires pushed airlines to go further. In January 2025, an Air Busan plane caught fire while preparing to take off from Busan, South Korea. All 176 people on board got off safely, and investigators found that a power bank in an overhead bin had short-circuited and caught fire. In July 2025, smoke came from an overhead locker on a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Hobart, with an overheating power bank believed to be the cause. Since then, airlines and regulators around the world have tightened the rules.
Power bank size limits: how many mAh can you take on a plane?
What matters is the power bank’s watt-hour (Wh) rating: how much energy its battery stores. Airlines use Wh because it compares batteries fairly, whatever their voltage. Most power banks are sold by their milliamp-hour (mAh) rating instead, so you may need to convert it.
The Wh rating is usually printed on the power bank itself, often in small writing near the ports. If it’s there, go by that. If only mAh is shown, use this formula:
Wh = (mAh × volts) ÷ 1,000
Most power banks use 3.7-volt cells, so for a typical power bank:
| Capacity (mAh) | About (Wh, at 3.7 V) | Can you take it? |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | 37 Wh | Yes |
| 20,000 | 74 Wh | Yes |
| 26,800 | 99 Wh | Yes, just under the limit |
| 30,000 | 111 Wh | Only with airline approval, and not from 2027 |
| 50,000 | 185 Wh | No |
The limits work like this:
- Up to 100 Wh: allowed without asking the airline. This covers most phone and tablet power banks.
- Over 100 Wh, up to 160 Wh: only with the airline’s approval before you fly, and not every airline gives it.
- Over 160 Wh: not allowed as passenger baggage at all.
These are the same limits the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) uses, and the ones most airlines work from. Your airline can be stricter, but not more generous.
Between us, we carry three. I carry two 20,000 mAh power banks (about 74 Wh each), and Darren carries a Sharge Shargeek 170, which is 24,000 mAh and 86.4 Wh. It’s the biggest of the three and gets checked at airport security regularly, but the capacity is printed clearly on it, so it’s never been a problem.
Good to Know
Don’t plan on taking a power bank over 100 Wh. Some airlines, including Qantas, will still approve one up to 160 Wh. But the International Air Transport Association (IATA), whose dangerous goods rules most airlines follow, has said that approval won’t be in its rules from 1 January 2027, so expect power banks over 100 Wh to be refused from then. If you’re buying a power bank for flying, stay at 100 Wh or under.
How many power banks can you take on a plane?
Two per person. Since 27 March 2026, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which sets the global rules for carrying dangerous goods by air, has limited each passenger to two power banks. Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Qantas and Virgin Australia all apply the same limit, but some airlines are stricter still. Emirates, for example, allows only one power bank per person.
It’s two per traveller, not two per booking. That’s how we split our three: Darren carries the big one and I carry the other two, so we’re both within the limit.
A few things count as power banks that you might not expect. Singapore’s aviation authority counts a phone case with a built-in battery as a power bank, so it’s safest to assume your airline does too. A battery removed from a smart bag also counts. A laptop doesn’t.
Can a power bank go in checked luggage?
No. Power banks are carry-on only, whatever their size and whichever airline you fly with. If you leave one in a checked bag and it’s found at screening, you may be called back to take it out, your bag may be held up, or the power bank may be removed. Qantas, for example, says power banks found in checked baggage will be confiscated or disposed of.
Smart bags: if your suitcase has a built-in battery for charging devices, the battery has to come out. Take it out before you check the bag in and carry it in the cabin like any other power bank. In Australia, for example, both our major airlines, Qantas and Virgin Australia, require this.
Gate-checked bags: if your cabin bag is taken at the gate or the aircraft door to go in the hold, take your power banks out first and keep them with you. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spells this out, and it’s the same principle on every airline.
Where to keep your power bank on the plane
Keep it where you and the crew can get to it quickly: in the seat pocket, in a bag under the seat in front, or on you. More and more airlines don’t want power banks in the overhead locker, because crew can spot smoke much sooner when it’s close to you.
- Qantas: within reach during the flight, in the seat pocket or under the seat in front of you.
- Emirates: never in the overhead locker. Keep it in the seat pocket or in your bag under the seat in front of you.
- Singapore Airlines: not in the overhead compartments.
Pack each power bank so it can’t short-circuit. CASA’s guidance is to keep it in its original packaging, tape over any exposed terminals, or put it in its own plastic bag or protective pouch, and to keep it away from loose metal like keys and coins. There’s more on how we organise our carry-on in our packing tips for overseas travel.
Can you use a power bank on a plane?
On most flights now, no. This is the change that catches people out.
- Qantas (since 15 December 2025): you can’t use a power bank or charge it on board, including from the in-seat power or USB ports.
- Emirates (since 1 October 2025): you can’t use a power bank in the cabin, including to charge your devices, or charge it from the aircraft’s power.
- Singapore Airlines: you can’t charge a power bank from the in-seat power or USB ports, or use one to charge your devices.
- ICAO’s global rules: recharging power banks on board is banned, and using them to charge devices is not recommended, so expect more airlines to follow.
You can still charge your phone or tablet straight from the seat’s own power or USB port, where your seat has one.
Lisa’s Tip
We have everything fully charged before we leave home (it’s on our final-week checklist). If something needs charging during a flight, we use the in-seat charging, so we always make sure we have our cables with us in our carry-on.
Choosing a power bank you can fly with
If you’re buying a power bank with travel in mind, these are the things that matter at the airport:
- The Wh rating printed on it, not just mAh. Qantas requires every power bank to display its battery specifications, and an unlabelled one is harder to get past security.
- 100 Wh or under, so you never need airline approval, now or after the 2027 change.
- A reputable brand. Airlines require lithium batteries to meet the UN’s battery testing standard, and Virgin Australia bans counterfeit, damaged and recalled power banks outright.
- Not recalled. Before you travel, check your country’s product safety recall list (in Australia, that’s Product Safety Australia). The ACCC said in July 2025 that about 34,000 recalled power banks were still out there with Australian consumers.
Before you fly with a power bank
- Check the Wh rating is printed on it (or work it out from the mAh)
- Take no more than two each, 100 Wh or under
- Check your airline’s power bank rules for this flight
- Charge it and your devices before you leave home
- Pack it in your carry-on with its terminals protected
- Pack your charging cables in your carry-on
- Take it out if your cabin bag is gate-checked
Frequently asked questions
What if I’ve accidentally packed a power bank in my checked luggage?
If you realise at check-in, tell the staff and take it out before the bag goes. If the bag has already gone, let the airline know straight away. Checked bags are screened, and a power bank that’s found may mean you’re called back to remove it, or it may be removed and not returned.
Can I charge my power bank in the airport lounge or at the gate?
The on-board rules apply on the aircraft, so the terminal is the place to top up before you board. Don’t leave it charging unattended, and keep it on a hard surface rather than a soft seat.
My airline’s rules are different. Which ones apply?
The stricter ones. Regulators set the minimum, and airlines can go further. If you’re on a codeshare or connecting flight, the rules of the airline actually operating each flight apply, so check every airline on your ticket. Some countries also add their own rules for flights departing from them.
Before your next flight
Power bank rules are still moving, and the next big change is the end of approvals for power banks over 100 Wh from 2027. Before each trip, check the battery page of the airline you’re flying with, especially if it’s one you haven’t flown before. Our travel security guide covers staying safe at every stage of a trip.
Then charge everything up, pack your cables in your carry-on and enjoy the flight.
Until next time… keep wandering.
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Last updated: 29 October 2026. Power bank rules checked 28 October 2026.
