Indian Aviation Regulator implements ban on use of powerbanks on board flights

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 and their regulators are no longer taking this lightly.

Some 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 recent incidents reported.

• IndiGo, October 19, 2025: Flight 6E 2107 operating from Delhi to Dimapur, Nagaland, returned to the bay due to a minor fire triggered by a passenger’s personal electronic equipment stored in the seat-back pocket on board.
• 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 on the rear left-hand side of the plane, suspected to have been 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 in 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 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 that have already banned powerbanks on board

• Emirates
• Singapore Airlines
• Scoot
• EVA Air
• China Airlines
• Thai Airways:
• AirAsia
• Starlux Airlines
• Tigerair Taiwan
• Air Busan
• Korean Air & Asiana Airlines
• Vietnam Airlines
• VietJet Air
• Virgin Australia
• Qantas / QantasLink / Jetstar

India gets in on the ban on powerbank use on board

Now, a new aviation safety rule from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is set to change how flyers use their power banks in the skies. From January 2026, passengers flying in and out of India will no longer be able to use power banks to charge phones, tablets, or other devices during the flight. This isn’t a cosmetic tweak or a gentle “request” from airlines; it’s now an explicit safety requirement that flyers must comply with during routine safety briefings and cabin announcements.

The rules, which were notified on November 11, 2025, say that:

• Broadcasting cabin announcements advising passengers to:
  • Carry power banks and spare batteries only in hand baggage.
  • Using or charging power banks is not allowed during a flight.
  • Immediately inform cabin crew if any device emits heat, smoke, or an unusual odour.
• Power banks and spare batteries shall not be placed in overhead bins, and (airlines) educate passengers in the prevention of short circuiting, such as storing lithium batteries in plastic bags, taping and covering terminals, or keeping lithium batteries in protective cases

Here are the complete guidelines for you to look over.

Why Did the DGCA Move on This?

The regulator’s updated guidance stems from growing global concerns about the risks of lithium battery fires. Lithium-ion cells — the chemical core of most modern power banks — pack a lot of energy into a small space. If a cell overheats, short-circuits, or suffers internal damage, it can enter a chemical reaction known as thermal runaway, producing intense heat, smoke and flames. In the confined environment of an aircraft cabin, even a small battery fire poses a serious hazard.

For travellers, this means that you can bring your power bank, but you cannot use it once the aircraft doors close. And you have to keep it in your seat pocket, not in the overhead bin. For charging your phone or other devices, use the onboard USB charging that Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air, and IndiGo (in some cases) provide.

Bottomline

Indian carriers have started announcing bans on power banks on board and have implemented them on their planes. This is in line with new regulatory guidance from the DGCA issued after an incident in October 2025, in which a small fire occurred on an IndiGo flight to Nagaland. Fortunately, the fire was contained, and the plane was still on the ground.

Let me know what you think of this Powerbank ban popping up in India now?

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