Which Power Bank Can You Take on a Plane?

In a few days I’m off on vacation to Spain, and not long ago I bought a new power bank with 20,000 mAh and 60 watts so I can also charge my laptop via USB-C. Am I allowed to take it on the plane?

The short answer for my Eurowings flight: Yes, the power bank can come along. At 3.7 volts, 20,000 mAh works out to roughly 74 watt-hours, and up to 100 Wh Eurowings doesn’t require any approval. The 60 watts don’t matter, that’s just the charging power. But: the power bank must not go in the overhead bin, and on board I’m neither allowed to use it nor to charge it.

The Power Bank Calculator

Type in your airline, copy the mAh figure from your power bank, done. It covers 82 airlines that I compiled with the help of an AI search. The airline’s relevant web page is shown as the source right next to the result. If your airline isn’t included, the calculator shows the worldwide minimum rule from ICAO: a maximum of two power banks per person, and anything up to 100 Wh, or roughly 27,000 mAh, is no problem.

Why Can Power Banks Be Dangerous?

A power bank is a lithium-ion battery in a pretty case. If one of those cells gets damaged, short-circuited or too hot, it can go into thermal runaway: it keeps heating itself up and the neighboring cells follow suit. In the end you get flames and toxic smoke. According to EASA, the typical triggers are malfunction, mechanical damage, short circuits and heat. At 33,000 feet, however, the crew only has a few fire extinguishers, and "just quickly" opening a window isn't an option.

The turning point was January 28, 2025, when an Air Busan Airbus A321 burned out in Busan before take-off. Investigators consider a short circuit in a power bank in the overhead bin the most likely cause. Since then, reports closer to home have been piling up too: in August 2026, a SWISS Airbus bound for Boston diverted to Dublin because of a smoking power bank, and in September a Lufthansa flight to Lisbon landed in Lyon. The video of the IndiGo flight on October 11, 2026 shows very clearly how frighteningly fast a fire can start:

The Rules Behind It

The basis comes from ICAO, the aviation organization of the United Nations, and applies worldwide: up to 100 Wh freely in your carry-on, over 100 and up to 160 Wh only with the airline's approval and no more than two of them, over 160 Wh not at all. Since March 27, 2026, the following also applies: no more than two power banks per person, each one individually protected against short circuits, and they must not be charged on board. For charging your phone and the like from the power bank, ICAO only gives a recommendation, but many airlines have turned it into a ban.

According to IATA, the approval option for 100 to 160 Wh will not be carried over into the 2027 Dangerous Goods Regulations. So from January, the limit for power banks will most likely be 100 Wh almost everywhere.

Very important: the power bank may only be stowed under the seat in front of you or carried on your body. It must not go in the overhead bin.

Is your airline missing from the calculator, or has something changed? Let me know in the comments and I'll update the calculator.

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