Anyone who’s jetting off this summer will want to know about a fairly new safety rule that you must follow when you’re on board.
Several airlines enforce the little-known rule(Image: Getty Images)
Going on holiday is always an exciting time, but there’s a lot of reasons that they can be stressful too. For many people, the flight itself is a source of anxiety, while others aren’t keen on the packing, the security process or the bag regulations.
I love a trip abroad, and although I can sometimes get nervous during takeoff and landing – as I’m sure many people do – I try to push it aside because I know there’s a holiday waiting for me at the other end.
If I can afford it, I’ll go on two or three holidays a year, so I like to think I’m pretty savvy when it comes to knowing what to pack, how big your bag can be, and just having a general know-how about the process. But on my most recent holiday, I was shocked to hear a safety announcement onboard that I’d literally never heard before, and it really threw a spanner in the works.
Picture the scene – it’s 5.30am, I’ve had three hours of sleep, two coffees down in Manchester Airport and I’m about to board my flight to Bilbao. Because I’ve desperately been trying to keep myself awake, I’ve been scrolling endlessly, so by the time I’m sat in my seat, my phone battery is looking a little unhealthy.
Luckily I’ve got a portable charger in my bag, ready to give my phone a much-needed boost. It’s been a rule for a while now that you can’t pack these in your checked luggage due to the potential danger from lithium ion batteries, but it’s always handier to have them in your hand luggage anyway.
But as the safety announcements kicked off, I was very surprised to hear that on this easyJet flight, you couldn’t use portable chargers at all.
Why can’t you use portable chargers on flights?
This was the first I’d heard of power banks being completely banned from use onboard flights. However, it’s clear to see in the ‘dangerous goods’ section of the easyJet website, which says they can’t be used to charge other devices.
They also must be ‘individually protected’ like placed in original retail packaging or a plastic bag, and customers are only allowed a maximum of two each.
Explaining why the rules are so strict, Jonathan Nicholson from the Civil Aviation Authority told BBC News that compared to the likes of digital cameras and laptops, “power banks have a much bigger battery, much stronger and get a lot hotter”.
“These things, when they catch fire, they go – they really go – they are big, big issues and big fires,” he added.
This makes total sense, and it obviously explains why most airlines have banned portable chargers in hold luggage – it was only a matter of time before they were banned from being used on planes too.
It’s worth noting that they are not outright prohibited – you just can’t use them, on easyJet flights anyway. So it’s definitely worth making sure you’re fully charged before you board, and don’t make the same mistake I did.
Which airlines have banned power banks?
As well as easyJet, several other airlines have started to enforce strict rules surrounding power banks. British Airways recently tightened its regulations – they must display the capacity rating information, they can’t exceed exceed 100Wh and they must be stored either in the seat pocket or in a bag placed under the seat in front.
Emirates has outright banned the use of power banks on all flights, nor can you plug the power bank into the seat’s power supply to charge it.
Most other airlines, such as Ryanair, Jet2 and TUI, do allow you to use them on board – just not during taxi, takeoff and landing, and restrictions can apply on the wattage. And you’re definitely not allowed to pack them in your hold luggage under any circumstances.
It’s recommended to check with the airline you’re flying with if you’re not sure, but always better safe than sorry.