As a frequent flyer, my husband and I never board without a power bank. It has become as essential as a passport, keeping phones alive on long haul flights or during layovers. But these pocket-sized lifelines have turned into aviation’s latest safety concern in recent years.
The problem is simple yet serious. Lithium ion batteries can overheat, and when they do, the results are dramatic. In 2023, two passengers on a Scoot flight bound for Singapore were injured when a power bank caught fire before take off in Taiwan. Last year, the United States Federal Aviation Administration reported three cases of battery overheating incidents on planes every two weeks. This is compared with less than one a week in 2018. By early 2025, passengers on Batik Air and Air Busan recorded frightening scenes of smoke and flames in the cabin, again traced back to faulty power banks.
Faced with this growing risk, airlines are drawing clear boundaries. From 1 April 2025, Scoot and Singapore Airlines passengers were no longer allowed to charge their devices using portable power banks during flights. The devices may still be carried on board, but only in hand luggage. Batteries up to 100 watt hours are acceptable, while larger ones between 100 and 160 watt hours will require airline approval. Checked baggage remains strictly prohibited.
The rules do not stop there. Emirates will tighten its policies in October 2025, limiting passengers to one power bank each, banning use entirely during flights, and requiring the device to be stored under the seat rather than in overhead compartments.
Globally, regulators are also stepping up. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has banned power banks exceeding 160 watt hours, while China has gone further by prohibiting any without a CCC safety certification mark. In the United States, more than a million Anker power banks were recalled after reports of fire hazards.
For Singapore travelers, what used to be a travel essential now comes with strict conditions. Forgetting the rules could mean parting with your power bank at the gate, or worse, finding yourself in the middle of an emergency onboard.
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The change may feel inconvenient, but regulators argue it is about keeping the skies safer in an age when nearly every passenger carries a battery. And as incidents increase, airlines are making it clear that safety comes first, even if that means your phone may run out of power while flying.
