Southwest Airlines Changes Its Portable Charger Policy, What To Know Before You Fly
If you're planning a summer vacation and intend on booking a flight with Southwest Airlines, take heed of a new rule involving portable chargers. In an update to its policy, Southwest Airlines requires that any portable charger or power bank be out in the open and "remain in plain sight" while in use. So, no more charging your smartphone inside your carry on bag or in the overhead bin.
Southwest Airlines in the first U.S. airline to implement such a policy, though it would not surprise us if others soon followed suit. The airline has already updated its policy page, and in an emailed statement, it said the new requirement will be effective starting next Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
"Southwest will introduce a first-in-industry Safety policy on May 28 requiring Customers to keep portable charging devices visible while in use during flight. Using portable charging devices while stored in a bag or overhead bin will no longer be permitted. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of its Customers and Employees," the statement reads, according to ABC News.
The concern over portable chargers and power banks stems from the inherent risk of overheating and catching fire (remember the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco?) associated with lithium-ion batteries, which pack a lot of energy in a compact space. They're also commonly used in a variety of mobile devices, including laptops, tablets, smartphones, digital cameras, and so forth. While lithium-ion batteries are generally safe, they're also prone to dangerous side effects if damaged or improperly used.
"Lithium-ion battery fires happen for a variety of reasons, such as physical damage (e.g., the battery is penetrated or crushed or exposed to water), electrical damage (e.g., overcharging or using charging equipment not designed for the battery), exposure to extreme temperatures, and product defects," the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says on its lithium-ion battery safety page.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there have been at least 620 verified lithium-ion battery incidents involving smoke, fire, or extreme heat dating back to March 2006. That includes 22 incidents so far this year, and another 11 that are pending verification.
In one such incident, a portable battery charger belonging to a Southwest Airlines passenger traveling from Las Vegas to Reno, Nevada overheated and caught fire, resulting in an evacuation. Fortunately, a flight attendant was able to extinguish the fire. The aircraft didn't sustain any damage and there were no serious injuries, though the passenger in possession of the battery burned their hand (they refused medical assistance). This happened on March 19, 2025.
Despite the new requirement, the overall policy on portable chargers and power banks is not overly stringent at Southwest Airlines. For example, its battery policy page states that travelers can bring up to 20 spare batteries at a time
