In April 2016, IATA (International Civil Aviation Organization) issued regulations regarding the transportation of lithium-ion batteries and external batteries (power banks) in the event of a fire on board an aircraft. These rules do not prohibit the transportation of a power bank on an aircraft, subject to certain requirements. We will tell you how you can carry a battery (Power Bank) on an airplane in 2022
Airport and airline employees, during passenger screening, have the right to confiscate batteries and external batteries if the following requirements are not met:
- Transportation of lithium-ion batteries and external batteries (power bank) is allowed only in hand luggage – checking them in luggage is prohibited!
- Batteries with a capacity of less than 100 Wh can be carried without limiting their number.
- Batteries with a capacity of more than 100 Wh, but not more than 160 Wh, can be carried by no more than two devices.
- Each battery must have information about the manufacturer, the power rating and the expiration date.
To avoid problems when transporting external batteries (including spare batteries for laptops and other devices) on an airplane, do the following:
- Make sure that the power of your device is not prohibited on board the aircraft
- Charge the battery to 30%. Airport or airline staff may be asked to enable and demonstrate its operation (although this is very rare)
- In the absence of labeling (or bad reading), print out the battery manufacturer’s instructions (you can find it on the Internet or ask the seller to send you a copy)
- In any case, print out the IATA External Battery Shipping Regulations
In what cases may your battery be confiscated or prohibited from transportation:
- If the airport staff finds a battery in your luggage, the suitcase will be opened and a deed of confiscation of the battery will be drawn up.
- If your device has a capacity of more than 32,000mAh, it will not be allowed on the plane. You will have to throw it away or transfer it to the storage room.
- If there is no information about the capacity on the case of your battery, then it is forbidden to transport it by plane!
How to correctly calculate the power bank capacity
In the IATA rules, the battery capacity is written in W/h, and on the device itself it is most often indicated in m/Ah. To correctly calculate whether your battery will be allowed on board the aircraft, multiply the voltage by its capacity. For example: you have a power bank with a capacity of 20000 m/Ah and the voltage is 5 V. We multiply 20,000 by 5 and get: 20,000 m/Ah*5v=100 Wh. You are allowed to carry your device on board the plane, but no more than two pieces per 1 passenger!