Starting July 1, that chunky portable charger rattling around in your carry-on bag could get you stopped at the gate. Southwest Airlines is imposing strict new limits on lithium-ion power banks aboard its flights, capping capacity at 100 watt-hours per device and banning them entirely from checked luggage. The move, quietly announced through an update to the airline’s dangerous goods policy, reflects growing anxiety across the aviation industry about the fire risks posed by the ubiquitous battery packs that millions of travelers now consider essential gear.
The policy isn’t arbitrary. It aligns with longstanding federal guidelines from both the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation, which have for years recommended — but not always strictly enforced — the 100 Wh threshold for portable lithium-ion batteries carried aboard commercial aircraft. What’s changed is the enforcement posture. Southwest is now making explicit what was previously a loosely observed recommendation, and it’s doing so at a moment when lithium battery incidents aboard planes are accelerating at an alarming rate.
According to Gizmodo, Southwest confirmed the new restrictions will take effect at the start of July 2025. Passengers will be permitted to carry power banks in their carry-on luggage only, with each device limited to 100 Wh. For context, most standard smartphone power banks — the kind rated at 10,000 to 20,000 milliamp-hours — fall comfortably under that ceiling. But larger units designed to charge laptops, drones, or multiple devices simultaneously can easily exceed it. Those will no longer be welcome on Southwest flights.
The 100 Wh figure isn’t new to aviation. The FAA has maintained this as its baseline recommendation for years, and most major U.S. carriers already reference it in their policies. But enforcement has been inconsistent. Gate agents aren’t typically trained to evaluate battery capacities, and few passengers know how to calculate watt-hours from the milliamp-hour ratings printed on their devices. The formula is straightforward — multiply the battery’s voltage by its amp-hour rating — but it’s not the kind of math most people do while shuffling through a TSA line.
So why now?
The numbers tell the story. The FAA logged ඛ record number of lithium battery incidents aboard aircraft in recent years, with fires, smoke events, and thermal runaways occurring in everything from checked bags to overhead bins to passengers’ pockets. In 2023, the agency recorded more than 60 such incidents on U.S. flights. Power banks, which unlike phones or laptops are essentially just batteries with no other function, represent a concentrated risk. They’re dense with energy, often cheaply manufactured, and frequently lack the safety certifications that branded electronics carry.
A thermal runaway event — where a lithium-ion cell overheats, ignites, and triggers adjacent cells to do the same — can produce temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. In the confined, pressurized cabin of a commercial aircraft, that’s not just a fire. It’s a potential catastrophe. And unlike a laptop battery, which is integrated into a device with its own thermal management system, a standalone power bank sits loose in a bag, subject to crushing, puncture, and short-circuiting from contact with keys, coins, or other metal objects.
Southwest’s decision arrives amid broader regulatory tightening. The International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations body, has been pushing for stricter global standards on lithium battery transport for several years. In the U.S., the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 included provisions directing the agency to study enhanced enforcement mechanisms for lithium battery rules on passenger flights. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has similarly tightened its guidance.
Other carriers have already moved in this direction. Delta, American, and United all reference the 100 Wh limit in their published policies, though the degree to which those rules are actively enforced at the gate varies. Some international carriers go further — certain Asian airlines require passengers to declare power banks at check-in and limit the number that can be carried aboard. Southwest’s announcement is notable less for the substance of the rule than for the signal it sends: airlines are done treating battery safety as a suggestion.
For frequent flyers, the practical impact may be minimal. The vast majority of consumer power banks sold at mainstream retailers — Anker, Mophie, Belkin — are designed to stay under the 100 Wh mark. A typical 20,000 mAh power bank operating at 3.7 volts comes in at 74 Wh. Comfortable margin. But the growing market for high-capacity portable power stations, the kind marketed to campers, digital nomads, and remote workers, includes many models that blow past 100 Wh without a second thought. Brands like Jackery, EcoFlow, and Bluetti sell units rated at 200, 500, even 1,000 Wh or more. Those are definitively off-limits.
There’s also the question of cheap, unbranded power banks flooding the market through platforms like Temu, Shein, and various Amazon third-party sellers. These devices often carry inflated capacity claims, lack proper safety certifications, and may not accurately report their watt-hour ratings. Some don’t list watt-hours at all. For gate agents tasked with enforcement, these units present a genuine identification problem. How do you assess the risk of a device whose label can’t be trusted?
The checked baggage ban is arguably the more consequential piece of the policy. Power banks in the cargo hold are invisible to flight crews. If one ignites in a checked bag, the fire suppression systems in most aircraft cargo compartments — designed primarily for conventional fires — may not effectively contain a lithium battery thermal event. The FAA has tested this extensively and found that halon-based suppression systems, standard in most commercial aircraft, are inadequate against the self-sustaining chemical reactions that characterize lithium-ion fires. The battery generates its own oxygen as it burns.
This isn’t theoretical. In 2010, UPS Flight 6, a Boeing 747 freighter, crashed near Dubai after a fire broke out in its cargo hold, which was carrying thousands of lithium batteries. Both crew members died. While that was a cargo flight, the incident fundamentally reshaped how the industry thinks about lithium batteries in aviation. The risk calculus for passenger flights, where evacuation options are nonexistent at cruising altitude, is even more severe.
Consumer awareness remains a challenge. A 2024 survey by the Airlines for America trade group found that fewer than 30% of passengers were aware of any restrictions on portable batteries in checked luggage. Many travelers routinely toss power banks into checked bags without a second thought, unaware they’re violating federal guidelines. Southwest’s explicit policy change, coupled with what will presumably be updated signage and boarding announcements, could help close that knowledge gap — at least on its own flights.
The timing also intersects with the summer travel surge. July is historically one of the busiest months for U.S. air travel, and Southwest, as the nation’s largest domestic carrier by passenger volume, will be implementing this policy at peak throughput. Gate agents will face the unenviable task of screening for oversized power banks while managing full flights, tight turnarounds, and the usual summer weather disruptions. Training and communication will matter enormously.
And then there’s the enforcement question that looms over all of this. The TSA screens for weapons, explosives, and prohibited items. It does not currently screen specifically for oversized lithium batteries. That responsibility falls to the airlines themselves, typically at the gate. But gate agents are juggling boarding groups, standby lists, and overhead bin space. Adding battery inspection to their duties without additional resources or technology seems optimistic at best.
Some industry observers have called for the TSA to take a more active role, potentially integrating battery capacity screening into checkpoint procedures. The technology exists — X-ray machines can identify lithium battery cells — but the operational burden of flagging and evaluating every portable charger in every carry-on bag would be substantial. For now, the system relies primarily on passenger self-compliance and occasional gate checks.
Southwest’s move may also accelerate a conversation about standardization. Currently, each airline sets its own policy within the broad framework of FAA and DOT guidance. Passengers flying multiple carriers on a single itinerary can face different rules on different legs of the same trip. A unified, industry-wide standard — clearly communicated and consistently enforced — would be simpler for everyone. But achieving that kind of coordination among competing airlines, each with its own risk tolerance and operational priorities, is no small feat.
The power bank market itself is evolving in ways that could help. Some manufacturers have begun printing watt-hour ratings prominently on device casings, making compliance easier to verify at a glance. Others are designing units specifically marketed as “airline-approved,” with capacities deliberately held below the 100 Wh threshold. Anker, one of the largest power bank manufacturers globally, already labels many of its products with FAA compliance information. That’s smart marketing and good safety practice in equal measure.
But the broader trend is toward bigger batteries, not smaller ones. As phones gain larger screens and faster processors, as tablets replace laptops for some travelers, and as wireless earbuds, smartwatches, and other devices multiply, the demand for portable power keeps climbing. Consumers want more juice. The industry is trying to set boundaries around how much they can carry onto a plane.
That tension isn’t going away. Southwest’s July 1 deadline is a clear marker, but it’s almost certainly not the last word. As lithium battery technology continues to advance — with higher energy densities packed into smaller form factors — the risk profile will shift, and regulations will need to keep pace. The question isn’t whether more restrictions are coming. It’s when, and how aggressively they’ll be enforced.
For now, the advice is simple. Check your power bank’s watt-hour rating before you fly. Keep it in your carry-on. And if you’re hauling a portable power station that could jumpstart a car, leave it at home.
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