Southwest Airlines has become the first US airline to ban passengers from charging devices with power banks inside carry-on bags due to the risk of a charger’s lithium battery overheating or catching fire. Starting May 28, passengers must keep activated portable chargers in plain view, while chargers themselves will remain permitted inside cabin luggage as long as they are powered off.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reported 22 lithium-fire incidents on planes this year and 620 since it began tracking such events in 2006. This latest move follows a fire that destroyed a passenger jet in South Korea, leading to the prohibition of carry-on luggage containing portable chargers from being stored in overhead bins.
The FAA states that the prevalence of lithium batteries is a potential hazard to aircraft safety due to their ability to undergo thermal runaway, an uncontrollable rise in temperature and pressure. Lithium-powered devices have become increasingly frequent on flights, with 81 incidents reported to the FAA in 2024 alone.
While the exact cause of these incidents can vary, passengers are often alerted by smoke in the cabin, prompting crew response before the device catches fire. Recent exceptions include a diverted American Airlines flight and a United Airlines flight where crew members extinguished fires using thermal containment bags.
As safety concerns continue to rise, airlines like Southwest are taking proactive steps to mitigate risks. The ban on power banks in carry-on bags is part of this effort, aiming to minimize the risk of overheating or catching fire.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2025/05/22/southwest-airlines-bans-charging-devices-inside-carry-on-bags-heres-why