Are power banks forbidden on airplanes
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As soon as the airplane is landed, charging your electrical devices is one of the most common worries, isn’t it?
Perhaps, it wouldn’t be the best idea to wait in line for accessing public charging boards and get your devices charged.
Carrying a light and small power bank makes charging a much more pleasant experience.
However, people often assume that airlines don’t allow carrying power banks into the cabin or putting in the cargo. Is it the case?
Are power banks really not allowed? Let’s find out.
You are generally forbidden from carrying objects in your check-in luggage or cargo that might threaten the safety of the flight.
Therefore, the key to knowing whether power banks could be a potential source of danger is understanding their main components. Let’s see what are those.
Battery protection, charging circuit, controller, discharging circuit, indicators, input and output ports, monitoring circuit, rechargeable battery pack, and switch are the main constituents of a simple power bank.
As you might have guessed, power banks endanger flights as even an unimportant malfunction might start a fire.
That is why some airlines are so restricted when it comes to electrical devices, the power bank included.
What is the bottom line
Before getting confused about whether power banks are allowed in flights, we need to see the bigger picture.
Power banks are not so much different from other portable electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.
in the sense that they are all powered by lithium batteries.
If a power bank is fed by a lithium battery, then you should follow the guidance on the carriage of portable electronic devices powered by lithium batteries.
Let’s have a closer look at the guidance.
The battery type matters
So, according to the mentioned guidance, carriage of lithium-battery devices must be given care.
The type of battery is a matter of importance here.
Portable electronic devices can have lithium-ion (limited by watt-hour rating) or lithium metal batteries (limited by total lithium metal content quantity).
Now, most power banks have lithium-ion batteries.
So, we need to settle what the regulations say about this type.
Carry-on or check in luggage
So, according to the mentioned guidance, carriage of lithium-battery devices must be given care.
The type of battery is a matter of importance here.
Portable electronic devices can have lithium-ion (limited by watt-hour rating) or lithium metal batteries (limited by total lithium metal content quantity).
Now, most power banks have lithium-ion batteries.
So, we need to settle what the regulations say about this type.
Frequentlyasked questions
Now we know the common rules.
Let’s see what internet users have asked the most.
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Should power banks be in a special circumstance in the cabin?
Yes. Although it is possible to carry power banks as carry-on luggage, they should be completely protected from damages as the batteries can catch fire.
How high is the likelihood of a power bank causing damages to the plane while it is in the luggage compartment?
Although it is very unlikely for power bank lithium-ion batteries to burst into flames, it might happen at any time.
If happens with no one being around in the luggage compartment, it will easily turn into a life-threatening occurrence.
Therefore, power banks even powered by practically safe batteries must not be kept in the luggage compartment.
Let me enlighten you on what is really the issue here. All the fuzz is because of the oxidizer (cathode) and fuel (anode) implemented in the batteries.
So, there is the smallest change of a chemical reaction and then an explosion. The explosion might not be that much of a big deal by itself.
However, with no one around to deal with it and probable other flammable objects in the cargo, it could turn into a very dangerous situation.
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Does size matter
By size, he/she means the capacity of power banks. And, yes, if you want to take them to the cabin, their capacity must not go beyond 100 Wh.
You don’t need to be worried about the size too much as more than 95% of all commercial power banks don’t exceed such a limit.
However, why not just check the capacity before the flight, if you don’t want any unexpected situation.
How Wh (Watt-hours) can be calculated
Perhaps, you intend to calculate Wh but get confused! No need to be stressed out! The equation is very simple!
To calculate, you need to take the Milliamp Hours (MAH), then divided it by 1000, and finally multiply by voltage (V).
This will give you Watt Hours. Milliamp Hours (MAH) and voltage (V) can be found on the box or written somewhere on the device itself.
Are there any exceptions
Imagine that your power bank exceeds the limit although it is very unlikely. What should you do?
Well, you are not still without any options. In fact, in this case, the airline requires you to ask for specific permission regarding carrying that power bank.
In most cases, if the airline is not very tough in that sense, with some procedure, you will be able to make the power bank as secure as possible so it could be in the cabin with you.
What if you are not sure yet
Lastly, if you still don’t know whether you can carry the power bank, just call the airline and ask them directly.
Conclusion
all in all, it is safe to say that most power banks powered by lithium-ion batteries are allowed as carry-on but not check-in luggage.
However, one should always check the regulations of the airline he/she is traveling with.
The regulations are there to avoid accidents as lithium-ion batteries can catch fire and damage the plane.
Lastly, if you still don’t know whether you can carry the power bank, just call the airline and ask them directly.
