Cheap power banks are taking over the world as phones become more essential for us to use on an ongoing basis. However, with a string of recent incidents, Asian airlines are not taking this lightly anymore.

Recent incidents of power banks catching fire

Recent incidents of power banks catching fire on airplanes have raised significant safety concerns, mainly due to the lithium-ion batteries they contain.

Here are some of the recent incidents that have been reported.

• Air Busan, January 28, 2025:  An Airbus A321 operated by Air Busan caught fire while preparing to depart for Hong Kong. The fire originated in an overhead luggage bin at the rear left-hand side of the plane, suspected to be caused by a power bank. All 169 passengers and seven crew members were evacuated safely using inflatable slides, with seven reporting minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed, prompting Air Busan to ban power banks in overhead bins starting February 2025, requiring passengers to keep them in their possession during flights.
• Batik Airlines, February 24, 2025: On a flight from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, to Bangkok, Thailand, a power bank ignited in the cabin just before landing, filling it with smoke and causing panic among passengers. No injuries were reported, and the crew managed the situation, allowing the plane to land safely.
• Royal Air Philippines, February 19, 2024: A passenger’s power bank exploded mid-flight, causing smoke to fill the cabin. Video evidence showed passengers reacting as the crew responded. The plane made an emergency landing, and no injuries were reported. Preliminary reports suggest the explosion was due to a lithium-ion battery malfunction.
• Scoot, January 10, 2023: On flight TR993 between Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan and Singapore,
  a power bank overheated and caught fire while the Airbus A320neo was taxiing to the runway. Flames erupted from a row of seats, and the cabin filled with smoke. Two passengers sustained minor burns to their fingers. The crew extinguished the fire, and the plane returned to the gate. The flight was rescheduled, and affected passengers received accommodations.

In fact, according to the FAA, the US aviation regulator, the number of lithium battery incidents on aircraft in the USA is now well over one per week. The figures for 2024 show there were 73 throughout the year – slightly down from 2023’s 78 and 75 in 2022 but well up from 54 in 2021. Most happened on passenger planes.

These are only incidents in US airspace or on American aircraft as the figures have been collated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the USA. The FAA has been collating figures since March 2006 and has recorded 583 verified lithium battery incidents, with a further eight pending verification. The most hazardous devices are battery power packs, which accounted for 230 of the FAA figures, followed by e-cigarettes and vapes, which were responsible for 123.

Airlines fight back, with Singapore Airlines  Group being the latest to join.

Following these incidents, airlines like Air Busan, AirAsia, and Thai Airways have implemented stricter rules, such as banning power banks from overhead bins or limiting their use on flights.

South Korea announced new regulations effective March 1, 2025. The regulations restrict passengers to five portable batteries (up to 100 watt-hours each) and ban those over 160 watt-hours.

• On board Thai Airways, as of March 15, 2025, charging power banks in-flight is strictly banned.
• AirAsia has introduced a policy prohibiting passengers from charging devices using power banks during flights. You can carry them in hand luggage, though.
• EVA Air and China Airlines have disallowed power bank use or charging in-flight as of March 1, 2025.
• Air Busan does not allow you to bring power banks in overhead bins, but you can carry them on hand.

Next up,  Singapore Airlines and Scoot are banning the use of power banks on board aircraft from April 1, 2025. Passengers are allowed to bring their power banks on board, but they are not allowed to charge their phones.  They must use onboard USB and other electrical sockets.
Here is the SQ Announcement.

Effective 1st April 2025, Singapore Airlines customers will not be allowed to charge portable power banks via the onboard USB ports, or use power banks to charge their personal devices, throughout the duration of the flight.

The SIA Group complies with the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations regarding the carriage of power banks, which are classified as lithium batteries.

This means power banks must be carried in cabin baggage on all SIA flights and are not permitted in checked baggage. Customers may bring power banks with a capacity of up to 100Wh without special approval, while those between 100Wh and 160Wh require airline approval.

We seek customers’ understanding that safety will always be our top priority.

Bottomline

This looks like another era when a Samsung phone model was permanently banned from being carried on board. Unless IATA or ICAO develop safety regulations around this, I don’t expect it to last long. However, in the interest of safety and your peace of mind, do check the airline rules before your flight.

What do you make of this Powerbank ban popping up across Asia?

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