Singapore Airlines Becomes Latest Global Carrier to Ban Passengers From Using Portable Power Banks Over Fire Fears

Singapore Airlines has become the latest and the largest global carrier to ban passengers from using portable power banks on its flights over fears that the devices might overheat and burst into flames.

On Wednesday, the airline said that passengers would still be allowed to bring portable power banks on its planes but that it would prohibit passengers from either using them to charge other devices or to charge them via onboard USB ports.

The decision comes just weeks after an Airbus A321 airplane operated by South Korea’s Air Busan was engulfed in flames and gutted by fire as it prepared for takeoff at Busan’s Gimhae International at the end of January.

Accident investigators have yet to release their final report on the incident, but preliminary findings suggest that the fire started when a passenger’s portable power bank suffered what is known as a ‘thermal runaway’ event and burst into flames.

The fire quickly spread, and 176 people and six crew members were forced to flee the aircraft as smoke filled the cabin. Three passengers sustained minor injuries during the evacuation, while four crew members had to be treated for smoke inhalation.

In the wake of the accident, Air Busan banned passengers from storing portable power banks in overhead lockers – presumably so that passengers and crew could quickly identify a power bank suffering a thermal runaway event and fight the resulting fire.

Like many portable electronic devices, power banks are powered by lithium-ion batteries. When these devices malfunction, they can create an incredible amount of heat, and the resulting fire can be very hard to extinguish.

Because a portable power bank is essentially a large lithium-ion battery, the risk posed by these devices overheating is seen as even greater than a mobile phone or laptop computer.

The Singapore Airlines ban will come into force on April 1, while several other carriers have already prohibited the use of portable power banks on their flights. These airlines include Thai Airways and Air Asia.

“Effective 1st April 2025, Singapore Airlines customers will not be allowed to charge portable power banks via the onboard USB ports, or use power banks to charge their personal devices, throughout the duration of the flight,” the airline said in a statement.

“The SIA Group complies with the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations regarding the carriage of power banks, which are classified as lithium batteries.”

The statement continued: “This means power banks must be carried in cabin baggage on all SIA flights and are not permitted in checked baggage. Customers may bring power banks with a capacity of up to 100Wh without special approval, while those between 100Wh and 160Wh require airline approval.”

In recent years, the aviation industry has become increasingly concerned about the risk posed by personal electronic devices suffering a thermal runaway event, with the number of inflight incidents steadily increasing since the pandemic.

To reduce the risk posed by lithium-ion batteries, passengers are advised to:

With the exception of Apple AirTags, never pack a device containing a lithium-ion battery in your checked luggage.
When using onboard charging devices like USB ports and plug points, monitor your device and unplug it before going to sleep.
Avoid charging your device to 100%. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suggests that keeping devices charged to around 30% will significantly reduce the risk of a thermal runaway event.
Use authorized charging accessories and avoid using cables or devices that are damaged.
Power off any devices that you are not using.

One of the most effective ways to stop a thermal runaway event is to completely submerge the overheating device in water or any other liquid that might be at hand onboard a commercial plane – whether that be coffee, juice, or even champagne.

Another risk factor that scares airlines is passenger damaging their personal electronic devices in their seats when they go to recline… especially in Business Class seats with powerful electronic motors.

If you do lose a device like a mobile phone in your seat area, you should not touch the seat controls but instead alert a flight attendant so that they can investigate with fire fighting equipment at the ready.