Many people wonder if it is possible to bring a portable charger or power bank on a plane, and the short answer is yes, they are allowed in carry-on baggage.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in its Dangerous Goods Regulations, the power bank is “considered” as a spare battery and is governed by the following rules:
- It must be packed in carry-on baggage.
- A maximum of 20 units may be carried without prior approval of the flight operator, provided that the total rated capacity does not exceed 100 Wh.
- A maximum of 2 units may be carried, subject to the approval of the flight operator, if the rated capacity is greater than 100 Wh but not exceeding 160 Wh.
| Powerbank Capacity | Carry-on baggage | Checked baggage | Operator approval |
| <= 100 Wh | Yes (max 20 ud) | No | No |
| >100 Wh to <= 160 Wh | Yes (max 2 ud) | No | Yes |
| > 160 Wh | Not allowed on passenger aircraft | ||
Although these regulations govern the airlines, you can check their documentation on dangerous goods if they include other restrictions for portable chargers:
| Airline | Carry-on baggage | Regulations |
| Alaska Airlines | ✅ | Check |
| Allegiant Air | ✅ | Check |
| American Airlines | ✅ | Check |
| Delta | ✅ | Check |
| Southwest Airlines | ✅ | Check |
| United Airlines | ✅ | Check |
| JetBlue | ✅ | Check |
How to check if your power bank is allowed on a plane?
Typically, the power bank specification sheet usually indicates its rated capacity in Ah and Wh but if you can not find it you can always calculate it for yourself:
A power bank consists of a set of lithium-ion batteries of a certain capacity and a common voltage of 3.7V (note that it can also be at another voltage: 3.6V, 3.8V or 3.85V!)
To know the rated capacity in Watt-hour (Wh), you must multiply the power bank’s total capacity indicated in mAh by this voltage and divide it by 1000:
Rated Capacity (Wh) = (mAh x V) / 1000
To understand it better, let’s see some examples to know if we can bring a portable charger of different capacities on a plane:
1) If the portable charger has a capacity of 20000 mAh at a voltage of 3.7V:
Rated capacity = (20000 mAh x 3.7V) / 1000 = 74 Wh < 100 Wh ✅
If the rated capacity is less than 100 Wh, we could carry this portable charger and up to 20 units* according to IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Also, no prior approval from the flight operator is required.
*However, some airlines tend to limit this number, such as Iberia Express, which reduces this number to only 4 units.
2) If the portable charger has a capacity of 30000 mAh at a voltage of 3.7V:
100 Wh < Rated capacity = 111 Wh < 160 Wh ✅
The rated capacity is between 100 Wh and 160 Wh, therefore, we could carry up to 2 units but, in this case, prior approval by the flight operator would be required.
3) If the portable charger has a capacity of 50000 mAh at a voltage of 3.7V:
Rated capacity = 185Wh > 160 Wh ❌
In this case, the rated capacity is greater than 160 Wh, we cannot carry a 30000 mAh portable charger on a passenger aircraft.