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Passengers flying this half-term, and on trips in the months ahead, are being urged to check how they pack and use power banks, phones, tablets and other battery-powered devices.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) launched a new lithium battery safety checklist on 22 October, with almost three million passengers expected to fly from airports in England and Wales during the October half-term.
The checklist helps passengers spot the warning signs of an overheating device and know what to do if a battery-powered item starts smoking or catches fire on a flight.
Research commissioned by the CAA found that awareness of lithium battery travel rules has risen to 86% among recent flyers, up from 81% last year. But 31% of passengers still wrongly believe items containing lithium batteries should go in checked luggage.
Power banks are also becoming more common. 54% of air passengers now carry one when they fly, up from 49% last year.
Glenn Bradley, head of flight operations at the CAA, said it was “great that more passengers know” to keep power banks and lithium batteries in the cabin, where any problem can be dealt with quickly.
Keep power banks in the cabin. Never pack them in checked luggage, and check your airline’s limits on battery size and how many you can carry.
Don’t charge power banks during a flight.
Check before using a power bank onboard. Make sure your airline allows it, and keep it easily accessible.
Act if a device overheats. If a power bank, phone, tablet or vape gets unusually hot, switch it off, stop charging it and alert the cabin crew immediately.
Report smoke straight away. Cabin crew are trained to deal with battery incidents.
Keep vapes in the cabin. Never pack them in checked luggage or use them onboard.
The full checklist is on the CAA’s Pack Right website.
Under international rules, most airlines allow power banks of up to 100Wh (watt-hours) in hand luggage. Those between 100Wh and 160Wh usually need airline approval, and larger ones are generally not allowed. The rating is usually printed on the power bank itself.
Some airlines go further. Emirates, for example, has banned the use of power banks onboard since October 2025, so check your airline’s own rules before you fly.
If your cabin bag is taken at the gate to go in the hold, remove any power banks, spare batteries and vapes first.
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