Singapore Airlines is the latest carrier to ban or restrict the use power banks onboard aircraft. The airline announced that during flights after April 1, 2025, its customers – and those on its low-cost subsidiary Scoot – will not be allowed to charge portable power banks via onboard USB ports, or use power banks to charge their personal devices. The airline stated that power banks can only be carried in cabin luggage and cannot be checked in.
It added: “Customers may bring power banks up to 100Wh without special approval, while those between 100Wh and 160Wh require airline approval. Safety of our customers and crew are our top priorities.”
The airline provided the guidance both in a statement to the press and on Facebook. One user asked about how the cabin crew would monitor the use of power bank.
Singapore Airlines responded: ‘If we may share, our crews are trained to remain vigilant and ensure that customers comply with in-flight safety procedures.’
Singapore Airlines is the latest carrier to ban or restrict the use power banks onboard aircraft. Power banks are classified as lithium batteries, which pose a fire risk because they can ignite during a process called ‘thermal runaway’.
The FAA explains: ‘All lithium-ion batteries are capable of overheating and undergoing a process called thermal runaway’.
Thermal runaway may occur without warning due to a variety of factors, such as if the battery has been damaged, is overheated, is exposed to water, has been overcharged or has not been properly packed.
‘Thermal runaway can also occur on its own due to manufacturing defects.’ Power banks are classified as lithium batteries, which pose a fire risk because they can ignite during a process called ‘thermal runaway’.
In January, a fire aboard a Hong Kong bound Air Busan flight at Gimhae International Airport near Busan in South Korea was attributed to a similar event. All passengers and crew were evacuated safely, but four minor injuries were reported.
Air Busan then banned passengers from checking power banks in or storing them overhead. Thai Airways, AirAsia and China Airlines are among the other airlines that have restricted or banned the use of power bank on flights.
