Passengers flying with Swiss or Edelweiss will need to rethink how they charge their devices. From January 15th 2026, both airlines prohibit the use of power banks on board. Only two may be carried per passenger, and only in hand luggage. Checked baggage has long been off limits.
Phones, tablets and laptops may now be charged only via the aircraft’s own power supply—if a socket or USB port is available at the seat. Power banks must be kept under the seat, in the seat pocket or on the passenger, not in overhead lockers. Charging power banks onboard is also prohibited. The same rules apply to e-cigarettes.
The measure applies across the Lufthansa Group, which owns both carriers. The stated reason is safety. Power banks rely on lithium batteries, which can overheat or ignite if damaged or defective.
Fires in the cabin
Airlines have become more cautious after a spate of incidents. Over the past two years a number of incidents have persuaded airlines that prevention is better than containment.
The most serious occurred in January 2025, when a spare power bank ignited aboard an Air Busan Airbus A321 preparing to depart from Busan to Hong Kong. The aircraft was still on the ground, allowing all 170 passengers and crew to evacuate safely. The fire nevertheless destroyed the plane.
Other episodes have been less dramatic, but no less instructive. In February 2025 smoke filled the cabin of a Batik Air flight from Malaysia to Bangkok after a power bank caught fire in an overhead locker. Cabin crew extinguished the blaze before landing. A few months later, in July, a similar fire broke out on a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Hobart; again, the crew intervened quickly and no serious injuries were reported.
In August 2025 a power bank ignited on a long-haul KLM flight from São Paulo to Amsterdam. The device was put out using onboard fire equipment and the aircraft continued to its destination. Two months later, in October, a lithium battery—believed to be in a power bank—caught fire mid-flight on an Air China A321 operating between Hangzhou and Seoul, prompting an emergency diversion to Shanghai.
The pattern continued into 2026. In January, a power bank overheated aboard Asiana Airlines Flight OZ745 from Seoul to Hong Kong, causing a small cabin fire. Crew extinguished it promptly, though one passenger suffered burn injuries.
The risk is not confined to power banks. In May 2023 an e-cigarette battery ignited in an overhead compartment on an EasyJet Airbus A320 shortly after take-off from Geneva. The aircraft returned to the airport; several crew members and passengers sustained minor injuries.
Why charging is dangerous
A power bank is generally more dangerous while being used than when it is just being carried. Charging stresses lithium batteries. When a power bank is in use, lithium-ion cells are actively discharging energy. This generates heat. If a cell is defective, damaged, poorly manufactured or degraded with age, that heat can trigger thermal runaway—a rapid, self-feeding fire. When the device is idle, there is no current flow and much less heat.
Charging using the plane’s socket is safer. A phone charging from aircraft power draws relatively low current and generates modest heat. A power bank can discharge at high current and run hotter under load.
Rules, and exceptions
Under the new regime, power banks with a capacity of more than 100 watt-hours—and up to a maximum of 160—require airline approval. The same applies to electronic cigarettes. Using a power bank to charge devices during the flight is no longer permitted at all.
Globally, the rules remain uneven. Emirates banned the use of portable chargers from October 1st 2025. Air France, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways already prohibit their use. American airlines tend to be more permissive, while budget carriers such as EasyJet and Ryanair still allow them.
For travellers, the message is simple enough: bring fewer batteries, keep them close—and don’t expect to use them in the air.
More on this:
Swiss press release (in English)
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