Passengers limited to two power banks under new ICAO rules

Aircraft passengers will be limited to two lithium battery-powered power banks and prohibited from using them to charge while in flight.

The move came on Monday from Global aviation’s governing body, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). A United Nations body, it is responsible for establishing aviation standards and recommendations for its 193 members.

And the powerbank moves follows a growing number of incidents of in-flight smoke and fire events from lithium batteries.

They have already prompted airlines around the world to limit their use onboard and require passengers not to store them in overhead lockers, but keep them in sight.

And the new ICAO specifications, effective from March 27, 2026, are designed to enhance safety and ease concerns of passengers and airlines.

Airline crew are permitted to continue to carry and use power banks in line with operational requirements.

+ In July 2025, a Virgin Australia Boeing 737 flight encountered a fire in an overhead locker on approach to Hobart Airport when a passenger’s power bank suffered thermal runaway. The flight crew broadcast a PAN PAN urgency call to air traffic control, who provided clearance for the approach and landing, and alerted aviation rescue and firefighting services. The fire was extinguished by cabin crew and the aircraft landed safely.

+ In October 2025, an Air China Airbus A321 had to divert during a flight from Hangzhou to Seoul due to a fire in a passenger’s carry-on luggage in an overhead locker due to a lithium battery failure. The aircraft safely diverted to Shanghai Pudong Airport.

Aviation authorities and airlines throughout the Asia-Pacific region were quick to implement restrictions last year on the carriage and in-flight use of power banks following a fire onboard an Air Busan aircraft at South Korea’s Gimhae International Airport, caused by a power bank in an overhead bin.

Elsewhere, the United States Federal Aviation Administration keeps a running tally of lithium battery incidents in its airspace and airports. Between March 3, 2006, and February 13, 2026, there were 555 verified incidents.

This year alone, through to February 13, the FAA says there have been two verified incidents and a further six pending verification involving US carriers or international carriers in US airspace or at US airports.