Power Banks On Planes: How Long Before They’re Banned?

InnovationConsumer TechPower Banks On Planes: How Long Before They’re Banned?ByBarry Collins,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Barry Collins is a tech journalist writing about PCs, Macs and games.Follow AuthorMay 26, 2026, 09:47am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Portable chargert incidents on planes are becoming increasingly commongettyDespite a raft of new restrictions, portable power banks are still causing havoc in the air. Just last week, an EasyJet flight from Egypt to England was landed prematurely in Rome after it emerged a passenger was charging a phone in their checked luggage. How long will it be before portable power banks are banned entirely from planes?Mid-air problems with power banks are becoming increasingly common. The FAA keeps a running list of power bank incidents that involve “smoke, fire or extreme heat” on flights either from or to the U.S. At the time of writing, there had been 29 incidents this year alone. Last year there were 97 incidents, an increase of 94% on the year before. Cabin crew are now well prepared for incidents with overheating power banks. As with the incident on an Air Canada flight on 15 April, staff are trained to place smoking devices into thermal containment bags to prevent fire spreading. But it’s not always possible to contain the damage. In March, a plane departing from Tokyo to New York was evacuated after a portable battery charger caught fire while the plane was taxiing. Nobody was injured, but two seats were burned and the flight was cancelled.In January 2025, an Air Busan flight bound for Hong Kong also caught fire on the ground, when a battery stored in the overhead compartment short-circuited. The plane was so badly burned that it created large holes in the fuselage and the plane was left beyond repair. Twenty passengers were injured in the incident, although it obvious...