Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air have jointly announced a ban on the use of power banks during flights, citing growing safety concerns over lithium battery-related incidents in aviation.
Under the new policy, passengers are no longer permitted to use portable chargers to power or recharge their devices while onboard.
Passengers are now required to remove power banks from their carry-on luggage prior to boarding and keep them in a visible location throughout the flight. While these devices may still be brought onboard in limited quantities, their use during the flight, including charging them via the aircraft’s USB ports. is strictly prohibited.
The move follows increasing global scrutiny of lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries, which are widely used in power banks due to their high energy density. However, these batteries are also highly sensitive to heat, impact, and rapid changes in air pressure. Such sensitivity raises the risk of battery malfunctions, including short circuits, overheating, and in severe cases, fire or explosion.
These dangers are significantly heightened when batteries are stored in the aircraft’s cargo hold, where temperature and pressure can fluctuate dramatically and where strong vibrations are more common.
Compounding the risk is the fact that checked baggage is less closely monitored during flight, meaning any incident involving a power bank in the cargo area may go undetected until it becomes critical. As a result, both airlines continue to enforce a strict ban on transporting power banks in checked luggage.
Under current aviation safety regulations, passengers are allowed to carry a limited number of batteries in their hand luggage.
Devices with a capacity of up to 100 watt-hours, which typically translates to around 20,000 milliamp-hours at 5 volts, are allowed in quantities of up to ten per passenger.
For larger power banks, with capacities between 100 and 160 watt-hours (or approximately 20,000 to 32,000 milliamp-hours), the limit is two per person. Any power bank that exceeds 160 watt-hours or 32,000 milliamp-hours is not permitted on board under any circumstances.
Both Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet urge passengers to verify the specifications of their devices before traveling and to adhere strictly to all safety guidelines.
The new regulations aim to minimize in-flight risks and ensure the continued safety of passengers, crew, and aircraft.