Travel guide · Power bank on a plane · 10 min readPower bank and battery case on a plane: the 2026 rules

The short answer

• Carry-on only. Power banks and other spare lithium batteries are never allowed in checked luggage.
• Up to 100 Wh needs no approval. That covers every phone power bank up to about 27,000 mAh. Between 100 and 160 Wh you need the airline's approval; above 160 Wh is forbidden.
• Two power banks per person. Since 27 March 2026 the international baseline from ICAO limits passengers to two, and forbids recharging power banks on board.
• Many airlines now ban using them in flight. Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Lufthansa are among them, and all South Korean airlines and Japan have national bans.
• Inside China, the 3C mark matters. Since 28 June 2025, power banks without a clear 3C label are not allowed on domestic flights.

Convert mAh to Wh

Airline rules use watt-hours (Wh), while power banks are sold in milliamp-hours (mAh). The conversion is simple: multiply the mAh by the cell voltage (3.7 V for almost every lithium-ion power bank) and divide by 1,000. A 10,000 mAh magnetic battery pack is 10,000 × 3.7 ÷ 1,000 = 37 Wh. Here is how our own products compare with the limits:

Security staff need to read the capacity on the product itself. A power bank with no printed rating, or a label that has worn off, can be refused even if it is small.

The global baseline

Most national rules follow the Technical Instructions of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The current baseline looks like this:

In the United States, the FAA applies the same 100 Wh and 160 Wh thresholds. In Europe, EASA's safety bulletin of May 2025 told airlines to forbid recharging power banks on board and recommended forbidding their use to charge devices during the flight. Individual airlines can always be stricter than the baseline.

Using a power bank on board

Carrying a power bank and using it are now two separate questions. After several cabin fires, a growing list of airlines forbid using a power bank at all during the flight:

• Emirates has banned using power banks on board since 1 October 2025. You may still carry one that meets the rules.
• South Korea: all of the country's airlines ban in-flight use. Power banks must be kept within reach, not in the overhead bin, with the terminals insulated.
• Japan banned in-flight use from April 2026 and limits passengers to two power banks.
• Other airlines with in-flight bans include Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, EVA Air, China Airlines, Lufthansa and SWISS.
• Southwest Airlines still allows use, but since 28 May 2025 a power bank in use must be visible, not inside a bag or the overhead bin.

The practical rule: charge your phone fully before boarding, keep the power bank in the seat pocket or under the seat in front, and check your airline's own page before you fly. Rules on this point are still changing.

Flights in China: the 3C mark

Since 28 June 2025, China's civil aviation authority has banned power banks on domestic flights if they have no 3C (China Compulsory Certification) label, if the label is unclear, or if the model or batch has been recalled. Airports have set up areas where passengers can hand in or store power banks that do not comply. Travellers connecting through mainland China on a domestic leg should carry a 3C-marked power bank or leave it at home.

Is a battery case a power bank?

An iPhone battery case is a phone case with a battery built in, so it sits between a device and a spare battery. The FAA's PackSafe guidance lists phone battery charging cases under portable electronic devices. In practice, many airlines and security staff treat anything whose job is to charge another device like a power bank. The safe approach is to treat your battery case exactly like a power bank:

• Keep it in your carry-on or on the phone, never in a checked bag.
• Count it toward the two-power-bank limit if your airline asks.
• Switch its charging off during the flight on airlines that ban in-flight use. On our cases, hold the button for two seconds to turn the coil off.

A magnetic battery pack is simply a power bank with magnets. Every rule above applies to it in full.

How to pack

1. Check that the capacity is printed on the product and readable.
2. Pack power banks in your carry-on, in a pocket you can reach quickly.
3. Protect the ports from keys and coins; a small pouch or tape over exposed terminals is enough.
4. Do not pack a power bank that is swollen, damaged or recalled. It is not allowed on board at all.
5. Charge your devices before the flight, in case your airline bans in-flight use.
6. If anything gets hot, smokes or swells, tell the cabin crew immediately.

For retailers and brands

Travel rules now affect what customers buy. Clear capacity printing in mAh and Wh, a visible certification mark for the market and a size below 100 Wh are selling points, not just compliance details. For the documents behind those marks, see our guide to battery case and power bank certifications.

Frequently asked questions