Chargers must remain visible to crew members while in use
As portable power has become inseparable from modern travel, the skies are now asking a quiet but serious question about what convenience costs at altitude. American Airlines, responding to nearly two dozen lithium battery incidents already recorded this year, will begin limiting passengers to two visible, accessible power banks per flight this Friday. The policy reflects a broader reckoning across commercial aviation — one where the same batteries that keep us connected have proven capable of igniting emergencies that crew members at 35,000 feet have precious little time to contain.
- Nearly 100 lithium battery incidents struck commercial aviation in 2025 alone, with fires from power banks and vape devices turning routine flights into genuine emergencies.
- American Airlines is now capping passengers at two portable chargers — each no more than 100 watt-hours — that must remain visible and within reach for the entire flight, never stowed in overhead bins.
- Southwest Airlines has gone further, restricting passengers to a single charger, signaling that the industry is moving in a coordinated but uneven direction toward tighter battery controls.
- Frequent flyers who rely on high-capacity backup power for long journeys will feel the change immediately, forced to choose which devices make the cut and keep them in plain sight throughout the flight.
- Airlines are betting that visibility and crew accessibility are the best available tools against thermal runaway — the dangerous chain reaction where a lithium battery overheats and ignites in ways that are notoriously hard to extinguish mid-air.
American Airlines is reshaping what passengers can bring aboard, zeroing in on the portable chargers that have quietly become essential travel gear. Beginning this Friday, each traveler may carry no more than two power banks — capped at 100 watt-hours each — and those devices must remain visible and within arm's reach throughout the flight. They cannot be stowed in overhead bins, buried in bags, or left unattended. Chargers may not be recharged mid-flight, and battery-equipped luggage falls under the same rules.
The policy is a direct response to a mounting safety record. The FAA logged nearly 100 lithium battery incidents across commercial aviation in 2025, most involving power banks and vape devices. Already this year, more than two dozen incidents have occurred. Lithium-ion batteries are capable of thermal runaway — a rapid, self-sustaining overheating that can ignite a fire — and at cruising altitude, that scenario demands immediate crew intervention.
American framed the new rules as a careful balance, acknowledging that passengers genuinely depend on portable power while insisting that chargers must be where crew members can see and reach them at any moment. Southwest Airlines has moved in the same direction, though more strictly, limiting passengers to one charger per person.
The practical consequences are immediate. Travelers who routinely pack multiple backup batteries, or who carry both a phone charger and a laptop power bank, will need to make deliberate choices. High-capacity units that long-haul flyers have depended on may no longer qualify. As more carriers are expected to adopt similar restrictions in the months ahead, the familiar freedom to carry unlimited portable power onto a plane is giving way to a new and more watchful era of in-flight charging.
American Airlines is tightening the rules around what passengers can bring aboard their flights, specifically targeting the portable chargers that have become as common as boarding passes in modern travel. Starting this Friday, the airline will allow each passenger to carry no more than two power banks, and those devices will need to stay visible and within arm's reach for the entire flight. When not actively charging a phone or laptop, the chargers cannot be tucked into an overhead bin or left unattended. Each unit is capped at 100 watt-hours of capacity.
The move comes in response to a growing problem in commercial aviation: lithium battery fires. Nearly two dozen incidents involving lithium batteries have occurred on flights operated by major carriers already this year. The numbers from 2025 paint a starker picture—the FAA recorded nearly 100 such incidents across the industry, with most involving battery packs and vape devices. These aren't theoretical risks. Lithium-ion batteries can ignite under the right conditions, and at 35,000 feet, a fire in the cargo hold or cabin becomes a genuine emergency.
American Airlines framed the new policy as a balancing act. The airline acknowledged in a statement to CBS News that passengers depend on portable chargers to keep their devices alive during travel. The company said it was trying to "support safety on board while ensuring our customers continue to have the ability to charge when on the go." The specifics matter: chargers must remain visible to crew members while in use, and they cannot be recharged during the flight itself. Built-in charging systems in some luggage pieces, powered by lithium-ion batteries, also fall under these new guidelines.
American is not alone in tightening restrictions. Southwest Airlines recently implemented its own battery policy, limiting passengers to a single portable charger per person. The industry appears to be moving in a coordinated direction, though the rules vary slightly from carrier to carrier. American's two-charger limit is more permissive than Southwest's one-charger rule, but both represent a significant shift from the previous era of largely unrestricted portable power devices.
The practical effect is immediate and visible. Travelers accustomed to packing multiple backup chargers, or those who carry both a phone power bank and a laptop charger, will need to make choices. The 100 watt-hour cap eliminates some of the larger, high-capacity units that frequent flyers have relied on for long journeys. And the requirement to keep chargers visible and accessible means they cannot be buried in a carry-on bag—they need to be on the seat, in a lap, or in a seat pocket where a flight attendant can see them at any moment.
These restrictions reflect a broader tension in modern aviation: the desire to accommodate passenger convenience against the imperative to manage genuine safety hazards. Lithium batteries power nearly everything travelers bring aboard—phones, laptops, cameras, headphones, smartwatches. The batteries themselves are not inherently dangerous in normal use, but thermal runaway events, where a battery overheats and ignites, have proven difficult to extinguish at altitude. The FAA and airlines have concluded that visibility and accessibility are the best interim tools available. If a charger begins to fail, crew members need to see it happening and be able to reach it quickly. As more carriers adopt similar rules in the coming months, the landscape of in-flight charging will look fundamentally different from what it did just weeks ago.
Citas Notables
We know our customers rely on portable chargers to keep devices powered throughout their journey. To support safety on board while ensuring our customers continue to have the ability to charge when on the go, American is requiring customers to keep these devices easily accessible during flight.— American Airlines statement to CBS News
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why are airlines suddenly so concerned about portable chargers? They've been allowed for years.
The incidents have accelerated. Nearly 100 lithium battery fires or failures last year, and we're already at two dozen this year. That's not a trend—that's a pattern that's getting worse.
But people need to charge their devices. A cross-country flight is eight hours. What's the actual risk?
The risk is real but rare. A lithium battery fire at 35,000 feet is catastrophic because you can't land immediately and you can't easily extinguish it. Airlines are saying: we'll let you have chargers, but we need to see them and reach them if something goes wrong.
So the visibility requirement is the key part?
Exactly. If a charger starts overheating, a flight attendant needs to spot it immediately and grab it. That's much harder if it's buried in a carry-on or stowed overhead.
Will other airlines follow American's lead?
Almost certainly. Southwest already has. Once one major carrier moves, the others follow quickly. Within a year, this will probably be standard across the industry.
What about passengers who travel constantly and need multiple chargers?
They'll adapt, like they always do. But it does mean fewer options and more planning. You can't just throw everything in your bag anymore.