The ban on packing lithium-ion batteries, and the power banks that contain them, in checked luggage dates back to 2016. Yet airlines have, over the last year, also begun cracking down on passengers bringing this common tech item inside carry-on bags.
The lithium-ion battery that allows for portable charging also contains volatile electrolytes that pose a particular risk of catching fire. After several in-cabin fires, Asian airlines AirAsia and Korean Air were the first major carriers to start requiring that passengers keep any onboard power banks near them and visible.
Southwest Airlines became the first airline in the U.S. to do the same in May 2025, while German flag carrier Lufthansa recently updated its policy to state that any power banks passengers bring aboard “may neither be used nor charged on board.”
EasyJet flight diverted to Rome after passenger caught using power bank
While power banks limits were previously not enforced as heavily as some of the other restrictions aboard airlines, this is starting to change.
One EasyJet flight to London from Hurghada on the western coast of Egypt was diverted to Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) after one of the passengers informed a flight attendant that a fellow traveler was using a power bank aboard the flight.
The second-largest low-cost airline in Europe, London-based easyJet also has a policy stating that two power banks not exceeding 160Wh per person can be brought in one’s carry-on luggage but “are prohibited from use on easyJet aircraft.”
Shutterstock
“The captain then took the decision to divert as a precaution”: EasyJet
“Flight EZY2618 from Hurghada to London Luton on 19 May diverted to Rome Fiumicino and was rescheduled to operate the following morning as the crew were informed that a power bank was charging in a passenger’s luggage,” EasyJet said in a statement.
“The captain then took the decision to divert as a precaution in line with safety regulations.”
More Travel News:
- Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
- What you can expect at Disneyland’s new ‘World of Frozen’
- Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
- U.S. government issues strange warning on Ireland travel
All 180 passengers aboard disembarked the plane and were provided with accommodations for the same flight that took place the following day.
In this unique situation, the plane diverted not because of an in-cabin fire or an incident that compromised the flight’s safety, but simply because the passenger was seen using a power bank when he was not supposed to.
It is unclear whether the passenger was fined or banned from the airline over violation of the airline’s rules.
“The aircraft landed safely and passengers disembarked routinely,” EasyJet said further in its statement. “We provided hotel accommodation and meals were available. We provided customers who stayed in the airport with refreshments.”
Saudi Arabia is another country that recently put in place a nationwide ban on charging power banks in the outlets available on the aircraft, Gulf News reported. The ban applies to any airline flying into or out of the country and also discourages passengers from using power banks to charge personal devices, even if the banks are not banned outright.
Most major airlines now also require travelers to keep the power bank in a bag next to them rather than in the overhead compartment.
Related: Another airline files for bankruptcy, cancels flights