Starting this month, Australian airlines will ban the use of portable ‘power bank’ batteries. This includes using a power bank to recharge devices such as phones, tablets, laptops and cameras while onboard, as well as using the plane’s USB or AC outlets to recharge the battery pack itself. The new rules apply to Virgin Australia flights from 1 December and on Qantas, QantasLink and Jetstar flights from 15 December.
If you are planning to bring a power bank on your next trip, power banks and spare batteries will need to be stored within easy reach, e.g. in the seat pocket, and are not permitted to be stored in the overhead locker or checked luggage.
“Smart bag” owners will also need to take additional precautions. If you use a smart bag which contains a battery, the battery must be removed from the bag and taken as carry-on and stowed in the same manner as power banks.
Passengers will be limited to two power banks per person, with Virgin Australia limiting maximum capacity to 100Wh and Qantas allowing power banks up to 160Wh. Almost all consumer battery packs fall well within these capacity limits.
An increasing number of international airlines have also moved to ban the inflight use of power banks, including, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways, EVA Air and Korean Air.
While the prevalence of USB charging outlets at every seat has increased in recent years, power banks are still increasingly popular amongst travellers. However they run the risk of a process called “thermal runaway”, where if the battery malfunctions it sets off a chain reaction producing extreme heat, fire or even explosions. A number of lithium-battery related incidents have occurred on aircraft in 2025, prompting the decision to ban power bank usage onboard.
