Southwest Airlines limits passengers to one portable charger to prevent lithium battery fires
Southwest Airlines is implementing a new policy effective April 20 that will limit passengers to carrying just one portable charger on board flights, marking a significant tightening of regulations aimed at preventing lithium battery fires at 35,000 feet.[1] The restriction goes beyond recent international recommendations and reflects growing concern over the fire hazard posed by these devices in the confined environment of an aircraft.
The new rule prohibits passengers from storing portable chargers in overhead bins and bars them from recharging the devices using airplane power outlets.[1] Passengers must keep their chargers visible at all times—a requirement that Southwest had already established—allowing flight attendants to monitor the devices and respond quickly if one begins to overheat.[1] These precautions address a genuine safety concern: lithium batteries used in portable chargers can catch fire and emit toxic fumes that are particularly dangerous in a pressurized cabin, and they can reignite even after being extinguished, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.[1]
The policy arrives amid a pattern of dangerous incidents. In January 2025, a fire believed to have been caused by a power bank's lithium battery forced an Air Busan plane carrying 176 passengers to evacuate in South Korea, with the blaze burning through the aircraft's roof.[1] In February, an Alaska Airlines flight was forced to return to a Kansas airport after a power bank overheated and ignited mid-flight.[1] These real-world incidents underscore why the International Civil Aviation Organization published recommendations in March urging airlines to limit passengers to two portable chargers—a threshold Southwest has chosen to undercut by half.
To address passenger concerns about keeping devices powered during travel, Southwest announced that its entire fleet will feature in-seat power outlets by mid-2027, reducing reliance on external chargers.[1] The combination of stricter carry-on limits now and infrastructure improvements in the coming years represents the airline's dual approach to balancing safety and passenger convenience.