Emirates passengers face power bank use ban over fears of fire and explosions - Airline becomes latest to raise concerns over popular portable charger devices

Emirates airline passengers will be prohibited from the use of power banks, following incidents of overheating, smoke and fire in aircraft.

Emirates has announced a ban on using power banks on board all of their flights, coming into force from October 1 2025. The airline said it was taking the decisions to “mitigate risk” as power banks can overheat resulting in fires, explosions and releasing toxic gasses.

Airlines have been cracking down on power banks since a plane caught fire in South Korea in January. Emirates' rules are among the strictest.

Emirates has introduced a brand-new blanket ban for all flights taking off on and after October 1. You’ll need to think carefully about what goes in your carry-on because all portable power banks are now prohibited from being used on flights.

Emirates will prohibit the use of power banks on all flights beginning October 1, 2025, citing safety concerns over lithium battery incidents in the aviation

The airlines stated that while most sophisticated devices have internal safeguards to prevent overcharging, many basic power banks may not have this safeguard, increasing the risk. "All power banks are subject to the new rules onboard Emirates," it added.

Emirates will only allow passengers to bring one power bank onto the plane. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.