Most passengers fly with a phone, a laptop or a power bank, and all of these contain lithium batteries. The rules below come from the US Federal Aviation Administration's table for airline passengers (updated on 2 October 2026) and from IATA's safety advice. Your airline or the airport security authority may be stricter, so check with your carrier before you fly.
Quick table
| Item | Carry-on | Checked | Main rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone, laptop, tablet, camera, watch | Yes | Yes, only if fully off | Switched off and protected from accidental switching on. Same watt-hour limits as spare batteries. |
| Power bank, charger, spare lithium-ion battery | Yes | No | Up to 100 Wh each. Two larger batteries of 101 to 160 Wh need airline approval. Protect against short circuits. |
| Bag with a built-in lithium battery (smart luggage) | Yes | Only if the battery is removed | Take the battery out and carry it in the cabin under the spare battery rules. |
| Location trackers (AirTag, Tile) | Yes | Yes, if small | Allowed in checked bags if lithium content is 0.3 g or less, or 2.7 Wh or less. |
| E-cigarettes and vapes | Yes | No | Carry-on only and protected from short circuit. |
| Ordinary dry batteries (AA, AAA, button) | Yes | Yes | Protect them from damage and short circuit. |
How to work out watt-hours
Look for the Wh figure printed on the battery. If it is missing, multiply the volts by the amp-hours. A 12-volt battery rated at 8 Ah is 96 Wh. For milliamp-hours, divide by 1,000 first.
Mobility device batteries
- A removed lithium-ion wheelchair battery of up to 300 Wh goes in the cabin, and the passenger must tell the airline where the battery is.
- A battery installed in a mobility device that is protected by design travels with the device in the hold, and the airline must know where it is.
- One spare mobility battery up to 300 Wh, or two spares up to 160 Wh each, may go in the cabin.
Items that are not allowed
Stand-alone battery generators, backup power units and solar power system batteries exceed 160 Wh and are forbidden on passenger aircraft. Damaged or recalled batteries cannot fly unless made safe.
Practical tips
- Keep spare batteries and power banks in their original packs or tape over their terminals.
- If a device gets hot, swollen or starts smoking, tell the crew at once.
- If your cabin bag is taken at the gate, take out batteries and devices first.
See also IATA's seven rules.
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