21 hours Ago By Sarah Falson
As more airlines ban the use of portable chargers and power banks in cabins, experts are sharing their tips for staying connected should the ban extend to Australian carriers. or signup to continue reading Travellers on at least seven airlines are throughout the duration of the flight. The move comes after .
The airline introduced the rule as a preventative measure after the fire was detected by a flight attendant in an overhead luggage bin. Several more airlines adopted the rules in March 2025 including EVA Air, Korean Airlines, China Airlines, Thai Airways and Asiana Airlines. Korean Air and Asiana went one step further, ruling passengers can't store their power bank in overhead luggage bins - they need to keep them with them at their seat.
Singapore Airlines and its low-cost subsidiary Scoot were the most recent airlines to join the trend, restricting power banks from April 2025. FCM Travel (owned by Flight Centre) general manager ANZ Renos Rologas, said it was just a matter of time before other airlines follow suit. "There has long been concern of the safety and reliability of portable chargers, and we're starting to see carriers take extra precautions beyond the aviation industry's current requirements," Mr Rologas said.
"A lot of Asian carriers are introducing the new requirements, and it includes many that Australians know and frequent, so it's important that travellers understand these new restrictions and the impact it will have on them." As more people rely on their laptops and devices for entertainment and to stay connected while on board, use of portable chargers and powerbanks are growing. RMIT University Department of Aerospace Engineering STEM College's associate professor of aviation and discipline lead for aviation, Chrystal Zhang, said power banks are getting so popular in the Asia Pacific that a market value of $1.
2 billion in 2023 is forecast to grow to $1.6 billion in 2030. "It's associated with e-commerce and also the people's reliance on the mobile phone.
It's a mobile phone culture," she said in March. International regulations stipulate power banks must be carried in cabin baggage on all flights and not stored in checked-in luggage. FCM Travel provided the following tips to stay connected and charged up amidst the new portable charger requirements.
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