Following a number of cases where power banks were the source of problems and in a rare case, a small fire, India may soon ban power banks on flights.
India is mulling to strictly curtail the use of lithium-ion power banks on commercial flights. Following recent in-flight fire scares, including incidents on an IndiGo and an Air China service, the regulatory focus has intensified, with India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) highly likely to join major global carriers in imposing a complete ban on the use and charging of power banks during flights.
The anticipated rules are designed to mitigate the unique and catastrophic fire risk posed by these high-capacity devices in the enclosed environment of an aircraft cabin.
The Hidden Danger: Why Your Power Bank Can Become an Inferno
The very feature that makes lithium-ion batteries essential—their superior energy density—is what makes them dangerous when damaged. The core threat is a phenomenon known as Thermal Runaway, a self-sustaining chemical reaction that standard onboard extinguishers struggle to control.
A thermal runaway event is typically triggered by a short-circuit resulting from physical damage, manufacturing defects, or overcharging. The process unfolds rapidly:
- Chain Reaction: One overheated cell generates extreme heat which quickly causes neighbouring cells to fail in a catastrophic sequence.
- Toxic Output: This reaction releases dense, toxic smoke, large volumes of highly flammable gases (including hydrogen and methane), and can eject white-hot shrapnel and molten components.
- Crew Difficulty: While cabin crew are trained to handle lithium battery fires with specialized containment bags and Halon extinguishers, Halon cannot stop the internal chemical process. Crew must apply sustained cooling, often with large 3. Global Crackdown and Anticipated DGCA Mandates
The trend among international carriers is clear: active risk management over simple capacity control.
: Major carriers like Emirates (effective October 2025), Singapore Airlines, and Cathay Pacific have already prohibited the use or charging of power banks via in-seat USB ports, mandating they remain powered off throughout the flight.
Mandatory Storage: These airlines increasingly require power banks to be stored under the seat in front or in the seat pocket, ensuring they are immediately accessible to cabin crew in the event of a thermal emergency—a measure that prevents a fire from being obscured in an overhead bin.
What India Can Expect
Following its technical review, the DGCA is expected to enforce the following mandatory changes for all flights operating within and from India:
- Total Ban on In-flight Use: A mirror of international rules, making the act of charging or using a power bank a violation.
- Strict Labelling Enforcement: Devices carried onboard must have a clear, legible capacity label. Unlabelled devices face refusal of carriage at the gate.
- Mandatory Cabin Baggage Only: This crucial rule remains unchanged: all spare lithium batteries and power banks are strictly forbidden in checked baggage due to the impossibility of extinguishing a cargo hold fire.
- Travel Advisory: Always consult your specific airline’s most recent dangerous goods policy before departure.
