Reference guide
Power Bank Flight Rules by Authority and by Airline
Since 27 March 2026, ICAO's rule for all 193 Member States has been a maximum of two power banks per passenger, with recharging a power bank in flight prohibited.
The familiar 100 Wh limit — or 160 Wh with airline approval — does not come from ICAO; it comes from EASA, IATA, the FAA and the UK CAA. Individual authorities and airlines depart from it: the FAA states no quantity limit for power banks up to 100 Wh, Southwest Airlines permits only one power bank, and the Lufthansa Group prohibits storing one in the overhead bin. The table below states every rule separately, with its source and the date it was checked.
Each row below states the rule the issuing body itself publishes, with a link to its own page and the date the figure was checked. Where a body says nothing on a point, the cell reads Not stated rather than a guess.
| Authority / airline | Level Ampcarry classification | Applies to | Max. number | Max. capacity | Recharging on board | Use on board | Overhead bin | Checked baggage | Effective from | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global | All 193 ICAO Member States | 2 power banks | Not stated | Prohibited | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Official page Verified August 03, 2026 | ||
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ICAO's announcement states a unit cap and a recharging ban and no watt-hour figure at all; the 100 Wh limit comes from other bodies. Crew are exempt and may continue to carry and use power banks. |
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| Global | IATA member airlines worldwide — industry guidance, not law | Not stated | 100 Wh 160 Wh with airline approval | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Prohibited | Not stated | Official page Verified August 03, 2026 | |
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IATA is an airline trade association, not a regulator. This page is its guidance to member airlines and binds no one; it carries neither a date nor an effective date. |
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| Regional | EU/EASA member states — a Safety Information Bulletin; recommendations are not mandatory | Not stated | 100 Wh 160 Wh with airline approval | Prohibited | Prohibited | Not stated | Prohibited | Official page Verified August 03, 2026 | ||
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A Safety Information Bulletin: EASA states in it that recommendations are not mandatory, and the date shown is its publication date, not a commencement date. EASA words the watt-hour limit per electrically powered device while classing power banks as spare batteries; the UK CAA states the same figures explicitly for power banks. |
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| National | Flights to, from and within the United States | Not stated | 100 Wh 160 Wh with airline approval | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Prohibited | Not stated | Official page Verified August 03, 2026 | |
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The FAA states there is no quantity limit for power banks up to 100 Wh; its “two” applies only to the 101–160 Wh band. Its page was last updated on 13 April 2026, seventeen days after the ICAO rule took effect, and still states no unit cap. |
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| National | South Korea — domestic standard set by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport | 2 power banks | 160 Wh | Prohibited | Prohibited | Prohibited | Prohibited | Official page Verified August 03, 2026 | ||
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South Korea's earlier domestic limit of five power banks up to 100 Wh was replaced on 20 April 2026, when it adopted the new international standard of two. The figure of five is still widely quoted online and is no longer correct. The overhead bin and checked baggage entries are carried from MOLIT's notice of 13 February 2025 (molit.go.kr, notice 95090678), which the 2026 release does not restate and does not repeal. |
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| National | TSA security checkpoints in the United States | Not stated | 100 Wh 160 Wh with airline approval | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Prohibited | Not stated | Official page Verified August 03, 2026 | |
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A screening-checkpoint restatement of the FAA rule. Its own page was last updated on 29 March 2023 and does not mention the 2026 ICAO change; its “two” applies only to the 101–160 Wh band. |
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| National | UK aircraft operators, and passengers and crew on their flights | 2 power banks | 100 Wh 160 Wh with airline approval | Prohibited | Discouraged | Not stated | Prohibited | Official page Verified August 03, 2026 | ||
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The CAA distinguishes deliberately: a power bank must not be recharged on board, and should not be used to charge other devices. It is the only regulator in this table stating the unit cap and both watt-hour bands explicitly for power banks. |
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| Airline | All Lufthansa Group airlines | 2 power banks | 100 Wh 160 Wh with airline approval | Prohibited | Prohibited | Prohibited | Prohibited | Official page Verified August 03, 2026 | ||
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Power banks must be kept in the seat pocket, on the passenger, or in carry-on baggage under the seat, never in the overhead bin. Approved medical devices are exempt from the 100–160 Wh approval requirement. The page names no individual airlines of the group. |
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| Airline | Southwest Airlines flights | 1 power bank | 100 Wh | Prohibited | Permitted if visible | Prohibited | Prohibited | Official page Verified August 03, 2026 | ||
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A power bank may be used on board only while visible and not inside a bag; when not in use the page says it should be stored in a personal item under the seat in front. Recharging it from in-seat power is prohibited, and the page states a flat 100 Wh cap with no approval route. The 20 April 2026 date applies to the one-unit limit only. |
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