Lithium battery fires in the cabin: the data, the new power bank rules, and what to do

A phone, vape or power bank overheating in flight is no longer rare. The FAA's verified count now runs close to two battery events a week, and power banks are the most common source. Since the Air Busan fire in January 2025, regulators and airlines have piled on new rules, and in March 2026 ICAO made the first worldwide change. The rules still differ from airline to airline, which is the part travelers trip over.

What the FAA data shows

The FAA keeps a public list of lithium battery events involving smoke, fire or extreme heat on aircraft since 2006. The agency is clear that it covers only events it has verified and "should not be considered a complete listing of all such incidents." Counts for a year can rise after it ends as reports are checked.

In 2025, battery packs and loose batteries were the largest category (31 events), followed by vapes (22), phones (21), other devices (11) and laptops (8). Eighty of the 93 events counted at that point were on passenger flights. A year earlier, battery packs had led with 27 of 89.

Other databases count more. UL Standards & Engagement, which runs its own thermal runaway incident program, told Leeham News in September 2026 that passenger aircraft events "exceeded two per week in 2025," that incidents rose 15% in the last year, and that nearly one in five ends in a return to the gate, a diversion or an unplanned deplaning. The two counts use different methods and shouldn't be set side by side, but they point the same way.

Why power banks

Cheap cells and sheer numbers. IATA's March 2026 guidance to operators cites "low barriers to manufacturing and a general lack of confidence in global regulatory oversight" of non-conforming makers, and flags wireless power banks as an emerging concern. EASA's SIB 2025-03 notes passengers now travel with four or five devices each.

Where the battery sits matters as much as what it is. The FAA's SAFO 25002 (August 25, 2025) warns that batteries in overhead bins or inside carry-on bags "may be obscured, difficult to access, or not readily monitored," which delays detection and firefighting.

Notable events

Air Busan BX391, January 28, 2025. A fire broke out in an overhead bin of an Air Busan A321 before departure from Gimhae International Airport in Busan. All 176 people on board evacuated by slide, and the aircraft was destroyed. On March 14, 2025, Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) said a power bank in the bin above seat 30 was the likely cause. The National Forensic Service found melting traces in the power bank's remains that pointed to an internal insulation breakdown, and found no abnormality in the aircraft's wiring or lighting. We could not find a published final ARAIB report as of late September 2026.

Air China CA139, October 18, 2025. On a Hangzhou to Incheon flight, a lithium battery in a carry-on bag in an overhead bin caught fire. The flight diverted to Shanghai. Air China said the crew "handled the situation quickly and no one was injured."

Horizon, February 22, 2026. A Horizon Air flight operating for Alaska Airlines from Wichita to Seattle turned back to Wichita after a passenger's power bank caught fire. The crew put it out with an extinguisher and placed it in a containment bag, and the passenger was treated after landing.

Lufthansa LH1170, late September 2026. A Lufthansa A321 flying from Frankfurt to Lisbon diverted to Lyon after a passenger's power bank caught fire in cruise. The airline confirmed the cause; no injuries were reported. The Lufthansa Group had banned using or charging power banks on board since January 15. A ban on use removes one trigger, but a damaged or poorly made cell can still go into thermal runaway on its own.

The 2025-2026 rule changes

The biggest change came from ICAO. On March 27, 2026, the ICAO Council approved an addendum to the Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (Doc 9284), effective the same day. According to IATA's guidance to operators, the addendum separates power banks from other spare batteries and says power banks carried for personal use:

• must be in carry-on baggage (existing rule);
• must not be recharged on board (new);
• should not be used to charge a device on board (new recommendation);
• are limited to two per person (new);
• must be individually protected against short circuit (existing).

How fast this reaches the gate depends on each country's process for adopting it. National regulators and airlines had already been moving for a year, and their rules do not line up.

Korea also acted on equipment. Since September 1, 2025, every Korean domestic carrier must carry at least two fire containment bags, overhead bin doors carry heat-sensitive stickers, and insulating tape is handed out at check-in, security, the gate and on board.

China's rule targets the product: since June 28, 2025, the CAAC has barred power banks from domestic flights if they lack a clear China Compulsory Certification (CCC) mark or belong to recalled models.

The US is the outlier. The FAA's passenger rules page, last updated August 10, 2026, still sets no number limit for power banks of 100 Wh or less and says nothing about charging in flight. SAFO 25002 instead asks operators to assess the risk through their safety management systems, review firefighting procedures and training, and improve passenger messaging. US airlines have filled the gap with their own limits, which is why a traveler flying Southwest out and Lufthansa home can meet a one-bank limit on the first leg and a two-bank limit on the second. In Europe, EASA's SIB 2025-03 already recommended telling passengers not to use power banks to charge devices in flight. Its recommendations are not mandatory.

One more change is coming. The addendum still lets passengers carry 100-160 Wh power banks with operator approval, but IATA says that option will not be in its 68th edition Dangerous Goods Regulations, in force January 1, 2027.

How crews fight a battery fire

The FAA's guidance is in AC 120-80B (March 16, 2023). The core of it is short: put out the flames, then cool, then contain.

Halon alone will not do it. SAFO 25002 says halon can briefly knock down open flames but does not stop thermal runaway, so cooling with large amounts of water is the main response. In practice, crews move passengers away, use a halon, halon replacement or water extinguisher on any flames, then pour water or another nonalcoholic liquid on the device. The AC says the liquid works best when it gets inside the device.

The hot device stays where it is for at least 10 to 15 minutes of cooling. Only then, with gloves, does it go into a container, submerged in water or nonalcoholic liquid. Covering it or packing it in ice is a mistake: both insulate the device and make it more likely that more cells fail. The container stays away from passengers and is watched for the rest of the flight, with updates to the captain.

On the flight deck, the AC calls for oxygen masks at 100% and for considering an immediate descent and landing at the nearest suitable airport.

Containment bags are sold for in-flight use, but the FAA does not certify them. Its InFO 17021 says there are no FAA test standards for these products and that "the highest risk may lie in the transfer" of a burning or overheated battery into the bag. The FAA does not support any manufacturer procedure that suggests moving a burning, smoking or hot device. AC 120-80B points to ANSI/CAN/UL 5800, a standard for battery fire containment products published in December 2020.

Hidden fires are harder. Air Busan and Air China both began in overhead bins, and the AC also warns about devices crushed in powered seats. It recommends a team approach: one crew member fights the fire, one talks to the flight deck, one fetches equipment and prepares the containment area.

For passengers

• Keep power banks and vapes in your pocket or the seat pocket, not the overhead bin, and never in checked bags. If your carry-on is taken at the gate, take the batteries out first.
• Bring two power banks at most. That is the ICAO limit, and some airlines, including Emirates and Southwest, allow only one. Check each airline on a connecting trip.
• Don't recharge the power bank on board. Where using it is banned, charge your phone from seat power instead.
• Tape the terminals or use a pouch, one bank per pouch.
• Know the size. Watt-hours are mAh times volts divided by 1,000. Japan's regulator uses the example of a 27,000 mAh bank at 3.7 V, which works out to 99.9 Wh.
• Check for recalls. For domestic flights in China, the bank needs a legible CCC mark.
• If a device slips into the seat, don't move the seat to get it back. The mechanism can crush it. Call a flight attendant.
• If anything gets hot, swells or smokes, tell the crew at once and don't try to carry it anywhere.

For crews

Your manuals come first, and FAA, EASA and ICAO regional guidance all follow the same order: isolate, extinguish, cool, then contain. EASA also asks operators to make sure containers and enough nonalcoholic liquid are on board for the largest batteries they allow.

Your own power banks count. Under the ICAO addendum, crew are also limited to two for personal use. Power banks provided or approved by the operator for duties, such as those powering EFBs or card readers, are a separate category, limited to 100 Wh, with conditions set in the operator's manuals.

Report every event. EASA's SIB asks operators to report all lithium battery occurrences to the authorities, and the FAA's list only includes events it knows about and has verified. The trend lines in this article are only as good as those reports.

Sources

1. Lithium Battery Incidents, FAA, updated August 11, 2026
2. On the Case: Preventing Lithium Battery Hazards, FAA, August 12, 2025
3. SAFO 25002: Managing the Risks of Lithium Batteries Carried by Passengers and Crewmembers, FAA, August 25, 2025
4. AC 120-80B: Firefighting of General and High-Energy In-Flight Fires, FAA, March 16, 2023
5. InFO 17021: Risk Associated with the Use of Fire Containment Products, FAA, December 26, 2017
6. Airline Passengers and Batteries (PackSafe), FAA, updated August 10, 2026
7. New power bank restrictions will safeguard international aviation, ICAO, March 2026
8. Changes Regarding Power Banks: Guidance Document for Operators, IATA, March 31, 2026
9. Safety Information Bulletin 2025-03: Passenger and Crew Awareness on the Risks of Lithium Batteries, EASA, May 27, 2025
10. Safety Issue Alert 02: Raising Awareness of Risks of Cabin Fire and Smoke Events Associated with Lithium Batteries Carried by Passengers, ICAO RASG-PA, October 1, 2025
11. New rules for carrying power banks on board (モバイルバッテリーの機内持込みの新たなルールについて), Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, MLIT, April 14, 2026
12. CAAC Bans Passengers from Carrying Power Banks Without CCC Markings or from Recalled Models on Domestic Flights, CAAC, July 2025
13. Stronger rules on portable batteries on flights coming on Sept. 1, Korea.net, August 28, 2025
14. Korea tightens rules on carrying batteries on flight, The Korea Times, February 13, 2025
15. Korean Airlines Ban In-Flight Power Bank Use Amid Fire Concerns, Seoul Economic Daily, February 26, 2026
16. Emirates makes changes to safety rules for customer usage of power banks onboard, Emirates, August 8, 2025
17. Advisory on portable power banks on Singapore Airlines flights, Singapore Airlines, March 12, 2025
18. Power banks on board: updated regulations starting 15 January 2026, Lufthansa Group
19. Air Busan fire likely caused by power bank short circuit, forensic report finds, AJU Press, March 14, 2025
20. Air Busan Fire Likely Caused By Power Bank, Investigators Say, Aviation Week, March 14, 2025
21. Battery fire aboard Air China flight to South Korea forces emergency landing, South China Morning Post, October 18, 2025
22. Hong Kong bans passengers from using power banks during flights, South China Morning Post, March 24, 2025
23. Alaska Airlines flight forced to turn around after passenger's battery pack catches fire, CBS News, February 2026
24. Lufthansa flight diverted after passenger's battery catches fire, CTV News (AFP), September 27, 2026
25. Lufthansa's 198 Passengers Stranded Overnight After Flight Diverts to Lyon, Aviation A2Z, September 28, 2026
26. Southwest to limit passengers to one portable charger on flights, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, April 8, 2026
27. More Airlines Restrict Portable Chargers After Jump In Lithium-Battery Fires On Planes, Forbes, April 29, 2026
28. Lithium Battery Air Incidents Increased by 16% in 2024, Lion Technology, May 5, 2025
29. FAA: 93 Lithium Battery Air Incidents in 2025, Lion Technology, February 11, 2026
30. Onboard Battery Events Surging as Power Bank Use Grows, Leeham News and Analysis, September 16, 2026