Batteries and power banks on planes: the cabin-or-nothing rule
Complete guide to flying with batteries: calculate watt-hours (Wh), power bank carry-on rules, spare lithium limits, and checked bag cargo bans.
On this page · 3 sections
The two numbers that gate everything
Under 100 Wh: freely allowed in carry-on in personal quantities. 100–160 Wh: cabin-only with airline permission (limit 2 spares). Over 160 Wh: banned entirely from passenger aircraft.
Habits that never get stopped
Keep electrical terminals covered or inside original protective blister packaging or travel sleeves to prevent short circuits.
Preguntas frecuentes
Frequently asked questions
Why can’t power banks go in checked luggage?
Lithium batteries can enter thermal runaway — a self-heating fire. In the cabin, crew can reach and smother a smoking battery within seconds; in the cargo hold, a fire can burn undetected.
What is the 100 Wh limit in simple terms?
Watt-hours measure battery energy. Phone power banks (10,000–27,000 mAh at 3.7 V) are 37–100 Wh and fly freely in carry-on. Between 100 and 160 Wh you need airline approval. Over 160 Wh is banned.
Do AA batteries count as lithium?
Only if they say lithium on them. Ordinary alkaline AA/AAA batteries can go in either bag.
What about devices with batteries installed?
Installed batteries — laptops, phones, cameras — may travel in either bag on TSA/CATSA flights.