In our modern world, we are more reliant than ever on portable electronic devices such as mobile phones. While significant work has been undertaken in order to ensure that their batteries last as long as possible, the intensity of modern usage still means that they need charging fairly frequently. For passengers needing to do so on the move, power banks can be an ideal solution, as they don’t require the phone to be plugged into the mains.
However, fears about such devices causing fires on board commercial aircraft due to thermal runway, which have only been exacerbated in recent times by several high-profile safety incidents, have prompted airlines around the world to reconsider their guidance on the subject. A key development on this front occurred earlier today, when Korean Air said that it, and other Hanjin Group airlines, would be banning inflight power bank usage.
Korean Air Is The Latest Airline To Ban Power Banks
In a statement released earlier today, the South Korean flag carrier and 
SkyTeam founding member confirmed that, as of January 26, 2026, it will no longer be allowing passengers travelling on board its flights to use power banks. This will prevent guests fying with the carrier, as well as its fellow Hanjin Group airlines Air Busan, Air Seoul, Asiana, and Jin Air, from charging phones, tablets, laptops, and cameras with power banks on board.
Korean Air has cited « enhanced safety measures » as having been a driving force behind the rule change, adding that « with in-flight fire accidents involving lithium-ion power banks occurring more frequently, the aviation industry has emphasized the need to strengthen cabin regulations to ensure flight safety. » While they can’t be used, guests can still transport power banks in line with existing regulations, with Korean Air going on to explain that:
« The ban on the in-flight use of power banks is a necessary measure to ensure the highest standards of flight safety, and passenger cooperation is essential. »
Lufthansa Also Recently Tightened Its Restrictions
Korean Air’s decision didn’t happen overnight. Indeed, the South Korean flag carrier (and its Hanjin Group partner airlines) had already rolled out various rules to make the transportation of power banks safer. These, it explains, include « insulation tape for short-circuit prevention at check-in counters and boarding gates, equipping aircraft with fire-containment bags, and attaching temperature-sensitive stickers to bins for overheating detection. »
As it happens, Korean Air is far from the only major airline to take such decisive action either. For instance, Simple Flying reported just last week that Lufthansa had implemented a similar ban on both its own flights and those of its Lufthansa Group partners. These restrictions came into place on January 15, with passengers also unable to use the in-seat power supply on board Lufthansa’s aircraft to charge their portable power banks.
The German flag carrier did emphasize that there is one notable outlier to this rule, namely the fact that « an exception is made for the use of approved personal medical devices. » Even so, this decisive action shows that Lufthansa is serious about the matter, with other carriers surely set to follow suit.
Airlines Update Lithium Battery Policies Due To Safety Risk After Air Busan Fire
The news comes shortly after an Air Busan fire incident.
High-Profile Incidents Have Shone Light On Safety Concerns
The increasingly widespread restrictions surrounding the transportation and use of power banks on board commercial aircraft have been catalyzed by numerous high-profile incidents where devices containing lithium-ion batteries have experienced a thermal runaway and caught fire. Arguably the most notable of these involved Air Busan flight 391, an Airbus A321-operated South Korean domestic service from Busan to Seoul, back in January of 2025.
In an alarming turn of events, the South Korean narrowbody twinjet was gutted by fire just ahead of its taxi in Busan, with suspicions quickly arising that the blaze was started by a battery inside a bag stored in an overhead locker. Luckily, as the incident occurred on the ground, everyone on board was able to evacuate, but the jet itself was destroyed by the blaze, which would likely have been disastrously fatal had it occurred while in the air.