In recent years travelling by plane has become increasingly a slalom among the rules: separate liquids in different bowls not to exceed the allowed limit, buy a suitcase on each trip because the measurements change (and decrease) constantly. It becomes difficult to even know if on the next trip you will not find yourself having to get rid of some object that has always been carried on a plane and that now, instead, has been banned. And that’s the case, so read carefully: in 2026 the rules on power banks aboard aircraft have changed, especially for those leaving New York to extra-USA destinations. Devices have not been banned in general, but several international companies have introduced restrictions on flight use over previous years. The point is no longer if the portable charger can be brought with it, but if it can be used once taken off, especially on intercontinental flights departing from airports such as JFK and Newark.
Since January, Lufthansa Group (including Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines), Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Thai Airways and Qantas have banned the use of power banks during the flight. Chargers can be carried on board in hand luggage, but cannot be used to charge phones or other devices, or connected to the USB sockets of the plane.
The tight is linked to the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries, already in the center of airport safety procedures. In case of overheating or “thermal runaway”, a battery can generate smoke or fires difficult to manage in the cabin. For this reason, many companies in 2026 also introduced the ban on placing power banks in the caps: must be kept in the seat pocket, under the seat in front or on the passenger. In the United States the official FAA indication remains that of the “carry-on only”, but domestic carriers such as Delta, United and American increasingly discourage the use of battery-operated caps, especially if luggage is boarded at the gate.
The thresholds fixed by FAA and TSA on capacity remain valid: up to 100 Wh without special authorizations, between 100 and 160 Wh only with approval of the company and in limited number, over 160 Wh the transport is prohibited. Of course, a power bank will not prevent you from boarding, but you will surely meet the confiscation of devices without visible label with capacity in Wh or mAh. For domestic flights, however, the rules were more flexible.
L’articolo Another object that can no longer be used on aircraft proviene da IlNewyorkese.
