Australia’s airlines to ban use and charging of power banks on flights
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Each passenger can have a maximum of two power banks but all such devices will remain prohibited from checked-in baggage.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Passengers aboard Virgin Australia flights will not be allowed to use power banks to charge their personal devices from Dec 1. The ban will also take effect on other Australian carriers such as Qantas, QantasLink and Jetstar from Dec 15.
The ban applies to all international and domestic flights operated by these airlines, with no exemptions. This comes after a power bank caught fire in an overhead compartment on board a Virgin Australia flight in July.
These efforts seek to reduce risks associated with defective lithium battery-powered devices, said the airlines.
In an announcement on Nov 21, the airlines said power banks will still be allowed on the flights and will have to be placed somewhere easily accessible, such as under the seat in front, in the seat pocket or with the passengers themselves.
The devices can be stored in the overhead compartment on Qantas flights but not on Virgin Australia journeys.
Each passenger can have a maximum of two power banks, but all such devices will remain prohibited from checked-in baggage.
Passengers who need to charge their handheld devices can do so through in-seat USB charging ports. Power bank devices are not allowed to be charged via these ports, said the airlines.
On Qantas, QantasLink and Jetstar flights, the maximum capacity of power bank devices is limited to 160 watt-hour (Wh).
For Virgin Australia flights, passengers may carry power banks with a capacity of up to 100Wh on its planes without special approval, while those between 100Wh and 160Wh require airline approval. Devices with capacities higher than 160Wh are prohibited.
To calculate the Wh of a power bank, multiply the battery capacity (mAh) by the voltage (V) of the internal lithium battery and divide by 1,000. For example, a 10,000mAh power bank at 3.7V is 37Wh.
In April 2025, Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Scoot flights banned the use of power banks on board their carriers, citing safety reasons.
In 2023, two passengers aboard a Scoot flight set for take-off from Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan for Singapore were injured after a power bank overheated and caught fire.
SIA’s decision comes after several in-flight cabin fire incidents across the world, with airlines such as Thai Airways, AirAsia, and those in South Korea imposing bans on charging power banks in-flight and restrictions on overhead storage.
International carriers such as Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Korean Air have also prohibited the use of power bank devices on their flights.
