What should you check before flying with a power bank?

The IATA operator guidance, checked on October 12, 2026, is dated March 31, 2026 and explains the ICAO addendum effective March 27. Its personal-power-bank provisions specify two per person, cabin carriage and no onboard recharging of the bank itself; charging a device from it is “should not” guidance. IATA separately explains that legal adoption and operator implementation depend on the relevant states. Do not treat the figures below as an identically enforced law on every international flight: check each operating carrier and departure/transit authority.

Four checks while packing

  • 1. Distinguish a power bank from a battery installed in a device or a spare battery designed for a specific device. The March 2026 addendum treats personal power banks as a separate carriage category.
  • 2. Read the watt-hour (Wh) rating on the product. If only mAh is shown, calculate Wh = volts × amp-hours. For example, 3.7 V × 20 Ah (20,000 mAh) = 74 Wh. A readable label and the operator’s and state’s rules still matter.
  • 3. Even at 100 Wh or less, the limit is two power banks per person. Carry them in the cabin, never checked baggage, and individually protect them against short circuits—for example, insulate exposed terminals or use separate pouches.
  • 4. The ICAO addendum permits a power bank above 100 Wh and up to 160 Wh with operator approval. State adoption and airline conditions vary. The same IATA document’s Appendix B table still marks power banks in this range “Forbidden,” while its explanatory text describes the addendum’s approval route. Do not assume automatic acceptance: give the operating airline the model and Wh rating and obtain its decision before travel. A personal power bank above 160 Wh is not permitted as ordinary passenger cabin or checked baggage. Cargo transport follows separate rules and is not personal carriage.

Using it onboard

You must not recharge the power bank itself onboard. IATA says passengers should not use one to recharge a portable electronic device; that is a recommendation, and an airline can turn it into a stricter prohibition. Follow crew instructions. A swollen, damaged, or recalled product is not made safe by packing it correctly. Check manufacturer recalls and airline guidance before travel. If it overheats, expands or smokes, notify crew immediately and follow their instructions; do not improvise moving it or fighting the fire. US FAA PackSafe directs passengers to alert crew and to remove power banks from cabin bags that are gate-checked, keeping them in the cabin. This is US regulatory guidance; other state and carrier conditions still require checking.

Example: a 74 Wh bank on a trip with a China domestic connection

Suppose you carry one 3.7 V, 20,000 mAh bank from Korea and connect to a domestic flight in China. Confirm its 74 Wh rating and readable markings, carry it in the cabin, and insulate its terminals. Being within the two-bank limit does not remove China-specific rules: CAAC announced that, from June 28, 2025, power banks without a CCC mark, with unclear CCC marking, or from recalled models or batches are prohibited on domestic flights in China. This is a China-domestic-flight rule; do not extend it to every international departure from China or to a universal global marking requirement. CAAC notice

Verification and limits

Check the operating airline for every segment, including codeshares, then verify its current Wh, count, cabin-only, and onboard-use rules. Check the departure and transit authorities’ requirements and the product’s recall status as well. IATA notes that states can have different processes for adopting the ICAO addendum. The document’s note that the rule will be incorporated into IATA DGR 68 from January 1, 2027 describes a future edition; it is not a substitute for the rules applicable on October 12, 2026.

The document explicitly says the 100–160 Wh approval provision will not be carried into DGR 68, due to take effect January 1, 2027. Future-edition conditions do not establish permission for a 2026 trip.

The CAAC English notice was published July 9, 2025; this differs from its June 28, 2025 implementation date.

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