Aircraft passengers will be limited to two lithium battery-powered power banks and prohibiting from using them to charge while in flight.
The move came on Monday from Global aviation’s governing body, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
A United Nations body, it is responsible for establishing aviation standards and recommendations for its 193 members.
And the powerbank moves follows a growing number of incidents of in-flight smoke and fire events from lithium batteries.
They have already prompted airlines around the world to limit their use onboard and require passengers not to store them in overhead lockers, but keep them in sight.
And the new ICAO specifications, effective from March 27, 2026, are designed to enhance safety and ease concerns of passengers and airlines.
Airline crew are permitted to continue to carry and use power banks in line with operational requirements.
+ In July 2025, a Virgin Australia Boeing 737 flight encountered a fire in an overhead locker on approach to Hobart Airport when a passenger’s power....
