Airlines are tightening safety rules around portable batteries after a power bank sparked a serious fire on a South Korean Air Busan aircraft in January 2025. In Europe, Lufthansa has moved first, introducing some of the strictest measures yet to reduce the risk of similar incidents.
Lufthansa Tightens the Rules on Portable Batteries
Germany’s flag carrier has announced new restrictions on how power banks and battery packs can be carried and used during flights. With immediate effect, passengers are no longer allowed to use power banks to charge their phones, tablets or other devices while onboard. Charging through seatback infotainment systems is also banned.
Lufthansa says power banks remain allowed in cabin baggage, and the long-standing prohibition on placing them in checked luggage remains unchanged. However, passengers may no longer store them in overhead compartments. Instead, the devices must be kept on the person or placed in hand luggage under the seat.
Travelers are encouraged to fully charge their devices before boarding or rely on the aircraft’s built-in USB charging ports during the flight.
Limits on Size, Quantity and Approval
Under the updated policy, power banks are now limited to a maximum capacity of 100 watt hours, or roughly 27,000 milliampere-hours. Anyone wishing to carry a larger battery must notify Lufthansa in advance and receive explicit approval. Devices that exceed the limit without authorisation may be confiscated and destroyed.
The airline has also capped the number of power banks each passenger can bring onboard at two. Lufthansa says the changes are based on revised safety guidance from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
The rules apply not only to Lufthansa flights, but also to services operated by its subsidiaries and partners, including Swiss, Eurowings, Austrian Airlines, Discover, Brussels Airlines, Edelweiss and Air Dolomiti.
A Fire That Changed Aviation Safety Thinking
The stricter approach follows a dramatic incident on an Air Busan Airbus A321 in January 2025, when a power bank stored in an overhead compartment caught fire while the aircraft was still on the ground. Investigators later confirmed that a severely damaged power bank was the source of the blaze.
Within minutes, flames spread across the aircraft’s fuselage. Although all passengers managed to evacuate using emergency slides, 27 people were injured during the incident.
The fire has prompted aviation authorities and airlines worldwide to reassess how lithium batteries are handled on board, with more restrictions expected as the industry works to prevent similar emergencies in the future.
