Power banks on flights: which airlines and regions have tightened rules?

Hong Kong is the latest aviation hub to tighten the use of power banks on flights, resulting in local airlines joining several other Asian carriers with more restrictions.

The Civil Aviation Department on Monday said the new measures for Hong Kong carriers followed recent safety incidents involving passengers using lithium power banks during flights.

Some airlines have moved to prohibit the carrying and the use of power banks on aircraft given recent incidents.

The International Air Transport Association’s Dangerous Goods Regulations state power banks must be carried in cabin baggage.

In general, spare lithium batteries can be stored in carry-on bags if each does not exceed two grams in lithium content or each one does not exceed rating of 100 watt-hours.

For batteries rated from 100Wh to 160Wh, each passenger is limited to two and they must be stored separately and protectively. Batteries exceeding 160Wh are banned from aircraft.