Goodbye to the widely used electronic device that from now on you will not be able to include in your checked baggage
Passengers are reacting to the news after the TSA issued a ban of this object following an in-flight fire.
The Transport Security Administration has moved to silently ban one popular object on checked luggage, causing passengers to alter their plans.
The agency have banned power banks used to charge mobile batteries in a new rule that came into effect as of March 1. While checked bags will not be permitted the item, they will still be allowed in carry-on bags.
In January, a power bank caused a fire onboard an Air Busan flight, BX391, in South Korea.
Ongoing ! An Air Busan Airbus A321 aircraft caught fire at Gimhae International Airport (PUS).
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) January 28, 2025
At around 10:30pm local time on the 28th, a fire broke out in the tail section of an Air Busan plane bound for Hong Kong at Gimhae Airport.
It was reported that all 170 passengers… pic.twitter.com/pa1CwaUEj6
Smoke filled the aircraft after a portable charger sparked a fire in the overhead locker ahead of the plane taking of; despite the chaos which saw the plane damaged beyond repair, the crew managed to evacuate 170 passengers.
Several other airlines, including Air Busan, EVA Air, and China Airlines all banned power banks from checked bags before TSA decided to join them in doing so.
The official TSA website says that while the power banks are banned, “the final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint."
In their PackSafe guidelines, the FAA say that “thermal runaway can occur without warning. Spare lithium ion and lithium metal batteries must be carried in carry-on baggage only.”
The batteries in question are found in:
- Power banks
- Cell phone battery charging cases
- Rechargeable and non-rechargeable lithium batteries
- Cell phone batteries
- Laptop batteries
- External batteries
- Portable rechargers
Watch how a power bank exploded in a passenger's luggage at Tallinn Airport, #Estonia. G4S security extinguished the fire with no injuries. The incident underscores why #Tallinn Airport and global aviation rules mandate that power banks be carried in hand luggage. #powerbank pic.twitter.com/jPpKzz7mFg
— FlightMode (@FlightModeblog) April 26, 2025
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