BERLIN, Germany – The International Civil Aviation Organization, the U.N. body that sets international aviation standards, said this week that passengers will be limited to two power banks per person and will be prohibited from recharging them during flights. ICAO said the change took effect on March 27, 2026, presenting it as a safety measure aimed at reducing the risk of lithium-battery fires in the cabin. Reuters, citing the agency, reported the rule was effective immediately.

The new rule does not amount to a ban on carrying power banks, but it sharply narrows how they may be used

Power banks remain permitted in the cabin under the new baseline, but the long-standing prohibition on packing spare lithium batteries in checked baggage remains in force. IATA’s 2026 dangerous-goods guidance says spare batteries, including power banks, are forbidden in checked baggage, and FAA and TSA guidance in the United States continues to state that power banks must travel in carry-on bags, not checked luggage.

In the United States, the practical effect is more limited — at least for now

American regulators have long required power banks to stay out of checked baggage, but public U.S. federal guidance has not yet been broadly updated to advertise the new ICAO two-device cap. Reuters reported that the Federal Aviation Administration had no immediate comment after ICAO announced the new rule. That leaves American travelers, for the moment, in a familiar position: the federal rule clearly bars checked transport of power banks, while airline-specific restrictions may be stricter and may change faster than federal consumer-facing pages do.

Internationally, however, the shift has already been visible for months

Several airlines and regulators began tightening battery rules before ICAO formalized the global standard, often after a series of overheating and fire incidents drew renewed scrutiny to lithium-ion devices. ICAO’s announcement and Reuters’ reporting both point to safety concerns — including the 2025 Air Busan fire incident — as a key force behind the new restrictions.

Some carriers had already moved first, particularly in Asia

Singapore Airlines said that from April 1, 2025, passengers would no longer be allowed to charge power banks through onboard USB ports or use power banks to charge personal devices during the flight. EVA Air imposed a similar prohibition from March 1, 2025, barring both the use and charging of power banks and spare lithium batteries in flight. Cathay Pacific first barred in-flight charging and use in 2025, and has now updated its rules again to say that each customer may carry no more than two power banks, with use and recharging prohibited during the flight.

Europe and the Gulf have also moved, though not always in the same way

Lufthansa Group said that from January 15, 2026, passengers could carry a maximum of two power banks, while using or charging them onboard would be prohibited. Emirates adopted an even stricter approach: from October 1, 2025, it barred any onboard use or charging of power banks and said customers could carry one power bank in cabin baggage, provided it does not exceed 100 watt-hours.

In East Asia, regulators as well as airlines have increasingly stepped in

Macau’s civil aviation authority said that beginning March 29, 2026, departing passengers would be allowed to carry no more than two power banks and would be forbidden from charging them in flight, mirroring the ICAO standard. In Japan, ANA says that, following guidance from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, passengers boarding from July 8, 2025, should keep power banks where they can be monitored rather than in overhead bins. South Korea also moved aggressively after early 2025 safety concerns, with official and quasi-official notices describing bans on in-flight use and charging and restrictions on overhead-bin storage among major Korean carriers.

That uneven rollout is likely to define the next phase of the policy

ICAO has now established a global floor: two power banks, no in-flight charging. But airlines and national regulators are still free to impose tougher standards, and some already have. Emirates’ one-device limit is stricter. Cathay’s latest notice says excess power banks may be confiscated at Hong Kong International Airport. Lufthansa also specifies where the batteries may be stored in the cabin, pushing passengers to keep them close at hand rather than overhead.

For travelers, the message is simple, even if the rules are not

Passengers should now assume that power banks belong in carry-on baggage only, should not be packed in checked bags, and should not be recharged in flight. They should also expect airlines to begin enforcing a two-power-bank norm, while checking closely for carrier-specific exceptions that are stricter than the ICAO baseline. The broad direction of travel is unmistakable: what was once a recommendation is becoming an enforceable cabin-safety rule.