The Dallas-based airline will implement new safety rules May 28 requiring passengers to keep portable chargers in plain sight during flights, following lithium battery fire concerns.
Southwest Airlines will become the first U.S. carrier to require passengers to keep power banks and portable charging devices visible while in use during flights, implementing the new safety policy on May 28, 2025, the airline announced.
The Dallas-based carrier said the policy aims to ensure crew members can quickly respond if a lithium-ion battery overheats or catches fire. Passengers will no longer be allowed to use portable chargers while they are stored in bags or overhead bins.
“Southwest will introduce a first-in-industry safety policy on May 28 requiring customers to keep portable charging devices visible while in use during flight,” a Southwest spokesperson said. “Using portable charging devices while stored in a bag or overhead bin will no longer be permitted. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees.”
The Federal Aviation Administration has recorded nine lithium battery air incidents involving smoke, fire or extreme heat so far this year, with an additional 11 incidents pending verification. While only one of this year’s incidents involved a battery pack, FAA data shows battery packs have caused 211 of 524 total lithium battery incidents recorded over the past two decades.
The policy change follows several high-profile incidents, including a January 2025 fire on an Air Busan Airbus A321 at Gimhae International Airport in South Korea. That incident, which resulted in at least seven injuries, was attributed to the breakdown of insulation inside a power bank battery stored in an overhead bin.
Southwest customers may begin seeing notifications about the new policy through the airline’s mobile app as the carrier prepares for the rollout next week. Under current FAA regulations, spare lithium batteries, including power banks and cell phone battery charging cases, must already be carried in carry-on baggage only.
Flight crews receive training to recognize and respond to lithium battery fires in the cabin, according to the FAA. Passengers are required to notify crew members if they notice their lithium battery or device overheating, expanding, smoking or burning.
While Southwest is pioneering this policy among U.S. carriers, several international airlines have already implemented similar or stricter restrictions. South Korea banned passengers from storing power banks and e-cigarettes in overhead compartments on all the country’s airlines in March 2025, following the Air Busan incident. The regulation also prohibits charging power banks through in-seat power outlets.
Hong Kong implemented a law as of April 7, 2025, prohibiting passengers from using power banks onboard aircraft. Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, AirAsia, EVA Air and China Airlines are among the carriers that prohibit passengers from charging power banks through in-seat power or charging mobile devices with power banks during flight.
The FAA does not currently require airlines to restrict portable batteries or mandate their separation from carry-on baggage. The agency’s data shows e-cigarettes and vapes have caused 107 incidents, cellular phones 74, other electronic devices 66, laptops 64, and medical devices 2.
One recent incident occurred in January aboard a Southwest flight when a passenger’s e-cigarette began emitting smoke. A cabin crew member placed the device into a thermal containment bag, and the flight continued to its destination without further incident.
In February, a package containing lithium batteries bound for a United Parcel Airlines flight was seen emitting smoke in Vejle, Denmark, leading to a facility evacuation. The package was placed in water to contain the threat.
Key Takeaways
- Southwest Airlines becomes the first U.S. carrier to require visible power bank use starting May 28, 2025.
- FAA data shows 524 lithium battery incidents over two decades, with battery packs causing 211 of them.
- International carriers, particularly in Asia, have already imposed similar or stricter power bank restrictions.
- Passengers must keep portable chargers visible to crew members and cannot use them while stored in bags or overhead bins.
- The policy follows a January 2025 Air Busan fire that injured seven people and was caused by a power bank in an overhead bin.
