Power Bank Airline Rules 2026: How Many, How Big and Can You Use Them?

Yes, you can take a power bank on a plane, but only in your carry-on (hand luggage), never in checked baggage. Keep it at or under 100Wh, carry no more than two, and do not recharge it during the flight.

That is the short version. Some of these rules changed in 2026 and airlines add their own, so the sections below explain what applies and why. Before you pack, you can check your power bank against the 100Wh and 160Wh limits with our free checker.

The rules at a glance

• Carry-on only. Power banks and spare lithium batteries go in your carry-on baggage, never in checked baggage.
• 100Wh or less is allowed without airline approval. Above that, treat the power bank as not allowed unless your airline confirms otherwise in writing, and from 1 January 2027 the rules of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) forbid power banks over 100Wh altogether. Over 160Wh is not allowed at all.
• Two power banks per person. Since 27 March 2026, the ICAO specifications, reflected by the UK CAA, limit passengers to two each.
• No recharging in flight. Recharging a power bank during a flight is not allowed, including from seat USB or power.
• Protect it and inspect it. Guard against short circuits, and never fly with a damaged, swollen or leaking power bank.

Rules differ by airline and can change. Always check the page of the airline that operates your flight, which is not always the airline that sold you the ticket.

How to convert mAh to Wh

The limits are written in watt-hours (Wh), so you may need to convert the mAh figure on the box. The formula is:

Wh = mAh ÷ 1,000 × volts

Lithium-ion power banks are typically rated at 3.7V. For a 20,000mAh power bank, that gives 20,000 ÷ 1,000 × 3.7 = 74Wh. Here are three common sizes at 3.7V:

Power bank capacity	Energy at 3.7V
10,000mAh	37Wh
20,000mAh	74Wh
27,000mAh	about 100Wh

These figures are estimates. The Wh rating should be printed on the power bank itself, so always check the label and use that number when it is there. Some airlines, for example British Airways and Jet2, will not accept a power bank whose Wh rating cannot be determined.

Voltage matters because Wh depends on it as well as on mAh. Two power banks with the same mAh can have different Wh ratings if their voltage differs, which is another reason to trust the printed Wh figure over a quick estimate.

If you also want to know how many times a power bank can charge your phone, try our power bank charging calculator. More utilities are on our free tools page.

Power banks over 100Wh: allowed, forbidden or both?

Between 100Wh and 160Wh the rulebooks have pointed in different directions, and the gap closes on 1 January 2027.

What the regulators say now

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) text all say that a power bank over 100Wh and up to 160Wh needs airline approval, and that you are limited to two.

What IATA says

IATA’s guidance for passengers (31 March 2026) describes the limit as a maximum of two power banks, each not exceeding 100Wh. From 1 January 2027, IATA’s Dangerous Goods Regulations (68th edition) forbid passengers and crew from carrying power banks over 100Wh. Some airlines already refuse them.

The practical rule: treat anything over 100Wh as not allowed unless your airline confirms in writing, and do not expect that approval to be available from 2027. A power bank bigger than about 27,000mAh at 3.7V is over that line.

Over 160Wh is a clear no. Those power banks are not allowed in the cabin or in checked baggage.

How many power banks can you carry?

Since 27 March 2026, the ICAO specifications, reflected by the UK CAA, limit passengers to two power banks each.

The FAA’s PackSafe page still words the quantity limits differently. It sets no quantity limit for batteries up to 100Wh carried for personal use, and two for 101 to 160Wh. It also says airlines may set stricter limits.

So the airline’s own rule is the one that applies to you. Some airlines allow fewer than two, as the examples below show. If your trip uses more than one operating airline, check each one.

What this means in practice

Here are four quick examples using the figures above. Each one starts with the regulator rules and then shows how an airline can change the answer.

• One 10,000mAh power bank (37Wh). It is well under 100Wh and needs no airline approval. It goes in your carry-on, and your airline can still set its own rule.
• Two 20,000mAh power banks (74Wh each). Each one is under 100Wh, and two is the limit under the ICAO and UK CAA rules. An airline can still be stricter: in the examples below, one airline allows two and another allows only one.
• A power bank rated at about 100Wh. This is at the edge. Read the exact Wh figure on the label, because one airline in the examples below words its limit as “under 100Wh”.
• Anything over 100Wh. Treat it as not allowed unless your airline confirms in writing.

Using and recharging a power bank in flight

Since 27 March 2026, the ICAO specifications, reflected by the UK CAA, say that recharging a power bank during a flight is not allowed. That includes charging it from the USB port or power socket at your seat. Any recharging has to happen before or after the flight.

Using a power bank to charge your phone or other devices is a separate question, and the airline decides it. At least one airline in the examples below does not allow it.

IATA’s passenger guidance also says power banks should be kept out of the overhead lockers and should not be used to power other devices during taxi, take-off or landing.

Packing tips and gate-checked bags

Packing tips

• Keep every power bank in your carry-on, never in checked baggage.
• Prevent short circuits. Leave the power bank in its original retail packaging, put tape over exposed terminals, or use a separate plastic bag or pouch.
• Make sure you can read the Wh rating on the label. If it is missing or unreadable, some airlines will refuse the power bank.
• Leave damaged, swollen or leaking power banks at home. They must not fly.
• Count them before you leave. Pack no more than two, and fewer if your airline says so.

If you are choosing a power bank for travel, our guide to power banks for travel and daily use explains capacity and charging speed, so you can match the label to the Wh limits above.

If your carry-on is gate-checked

Take the power bank out of the bag and keep it with you in the cabin. Spare lithium batteries and power banks belong in carry-on baggage only, so do this before you hand the bag over.

Quick checklist before you fly

• It is in my carry-on, not in checked baggage.
• It is 100Wh or less, or my airline has confirmed otherwise in writing.
• I am carrying no more than two, and my airline allows that many.
• I will not recharge it on board, including from seat USB or power.
• The terminals are protected, and it is not damaged, swollen or leaking.
• I have read the page of the airline that operates my flight.

Examples (reported in 2026; confirm with the airline before you fly)

These four examples show how much airline rules can differ. They are summaries, and any of them can change.

• American Airlines, from 1 May 2026: two portable chargers, each 100Wh or less.
• Southwest, from 20 April 2026: one power bank up to 100Wh.
• Emirates: one power bank under 100Wh, with the capacity marking clearly visible.
• easyJet: power banks in cabin baggage only, and not to be used to charge other devices.

These examples come from news reports, not from the airlines’ own pages, so check the policy of the airline that operates your flight before you travel. Other airlines have their own rules too.