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Another battery incident during flight

Posted by (The Shire) on

FAA reported nearly 100 verified battery incidents aboard aircraft in a single year, highlighting an accelerating trend. The vast majority of these thermal events occur in the passenger cabin (often in overhead bins or tucked inside bags) rather than the cargo hold.

The most recent major airline lithium battery incident occurred on June 18, 2026, when a smartphone caught fire in a passenger's baggage on a British Airways flight.

Key packing and travel rules for battery banks and hybrid power banks (2-in-1 portable battery with direct wall charger):

  • None in checked bag or in overhead bins: must be with you and visible during flight
  • Under 100 Wh
  • Preventing short circuits: keep them in individual plastic bag or cover exposed terminals with tape
  • No in-flight charging: no recharging of devices or power banks during flight

These days I pack only a small 5,000 mAh battery bank with me, enough to recharge my iPhone 1 time.

Posted by
32698 posts

The rules on charging electronic devices seems to vary a bit from one airline to another. The current rules at Air Canada are.....

"Air Canada provides USB ports for charging at every seat across its fleet, while standard AC power outlets are available at all Business Class seats and select Economy Class seats. If you are wondering about the "light" on your charger, standard USB and AC plugs are permitted to stay connected to your devices throughout the flight."

The rules at WestJet, our other large airline state....

"WestJet allows you to charge your phone in-flight, provided you follow specific aircraft and safety rules. Many upgraded aircraft feature USB-A and USB-C ports in Economy, while Premium cabins include universal AC sockets. However, you cannot use portable power banks to charge devices if onboard power is available."

Charging of or use of power banks on flights is often not allowed.

The rules may change from time-to-time, so I normally check the current rules with the CATSA / TSA website before travel.

Posted by
26685 posts

If you want to get down in the weeds on the topic then start with these two documents. If not, then the flight attendant will tell you what you can and can not do along with the seatbelt instructions.

ICAO stands for the International Civil Aviation Organization. It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that regulates international air transport. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, it establishes global standards and safety regulations to ensure civil aviation operates safely, securely, and efficiently across its 193 member states: https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/APAC/Meetings/2025/2025%20APRAST24/3-Working%20Papers/WP-10-AI_5%20-%20Harmonised%20approach%20to%20Lithium_Ion%20Power%20Bank%20Carriage.pdf

IATA stands for the International Air Transport Association. It is the global trade association for the world's airlines, representing over 370 airlines and accounting for roughly 85% of total global air traffic: https://www.iata.org/contentassets/05e6d8742b0047259bf3a700bc9d42b9/lithium-battery-guidance-document.pdf

Power Banks are sold in mAh and the rules are in Wh. The limitation of 100 Wh is roughly 27,000 mAh. It depends a lot on your phone, but 5,000 mAh will generally get you a half to maybe a full charge. I generally recharge at 25% so I get back to 100% with my now getting very old 5,000 mAh power bank. 10,000 mAh will get most phones 1 to 1.5 full charges.

Posted by
8928 posts

Luggage screeners in Viêt Nam somehow screen for battery devices in checked baggage, and hold out suitcases containing them, trying to contact the passenger in time to have them retrieve the device before the flight boards. On a tour in 2024, one person had inadvertently left their charging device in the checked suitcase, but the tour leader was somehow identified at the airport, and went with the fellow tour participant to open the bag and get the device. No incidents inside the passenger cabin during the flight, thankfully.

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