Power bank airline compliance check

Multiply the capacity in mAh by the cell voltage, then divide by 1,000. Almost every lithium-ion power bank uses a 3.7 V cell, so the quick version is mAh × 3.7 ÷ 1000. A 10,000 mAh bank is 37 Wh; a 20,000 mAh bank is 74 Wh; a 26,800 mAh bank is about 99 Wh — just under the 100 Wh line. Use the printed Wh value on the case if there is one: airlines treat the marked figure as authoritative, and a pack with no Wh printed on it can be refused even if the maths checks out.

These are the ICAO/IATA/FAA watt-hour ceilings every passenger airline follows. Up to 100 Wh, your power bank rides in your carry-on with no special permission. Between 101 Wh and 160 Wh you need the airline's approval before you fly, and you may bring at most two such units. Above 160 Wh, the battery is prohibited on passenger aircraft entirely — there is no approval path. The bands are about the battery's energy, not its physical size or price.

Since the ICAO addendum effective 27 March 2026, the global baseline is a maximum of two power banks per passenger, whatever their watt-hours. Some carriers and national regulators set their own caps too — South Korea's MOLIT, for example, has limited passengers to five units of ≤100 Wh. Because the two-per-passenger rule is recent and enforcement varies, confirm the count with your specific airline, especially on connecting itineraries with more than one carrier.

The ICAO addendum that took effect on 27 March 2026 prohibits recharging a power bank in flight (for example from a seat USB port) on member-state airlines. Several carriers go further and ban using the power bank to charge your phone or laptop in flight at all: Singapore Airlines and Scoot (from April 2025), Thai Airways and China Airlines (March 2025), and the Korean carriers including Korean Air and Asiana (January 2026). When in-flight use is restricted, charge your devices before boarding and keep a short cable handy.

No. Spare lithium batteries and power banks must always travel in the cabin, never in checked or hold luggage — this is a universal IATA/FAA rule (49 CFR §175.10) and it does not change with the watt-hour band. The reason is fire safety: cabin crew can reach a battery that overheats in the cabin, but not one buried in the hold. If you are asked to gate-check a bag that contains a power bank, take the battery out and keep it with you.

The most common reasons are a missing Wh marking, a carrier-specific rule, or staff discretion. If the watt-hour value is not printed on the case, ground staff can refuse it because they cannot verify the rating. Individual airlines add their own overlays — overhead-bin bans, in-flight-use bans, declaration requirements — that are stricter than the ICAO baseline. And the final call always rests with airline staff at the gate: this tool gives you the regulatory verdict, not a guarantee of acceptance.