UN aviation agency limits use of power banks to two per passenger on flights

MONTREAL/WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - The United Nations aviation agency said the use of power banks, or portable, rechargeable battery packs, would be limited to two per passenger on flights effective on Friday as part of new rules for using the devices while in the air.

Passengers will also be prohibited from recharging the power banks during flights, the International Civil Aviation Organization said in a statement.

Airlines such as the Lufthansa Group LHAG.DE and countries like South Korea had already been introducing restrictions on the use of power banks on flights, following incidents like a fire on an Air Busan plane in 2025.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration was not immediately available for comment.

Montreal-based ICAO normally sets global standards for aviation that are mostly approved by its 193-member states, however the new specifications regarding power banks are effective immediately.