Why India's In-Flight Power Bank Ban Signals a Global Lithium Battery Fire Threat

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India has implemented a new advisory circular to minimize the growing risk of lithium battery fires on commercial flights. The new rules specifically bar passengers from using or charging power banks and other portable electronic devices (PEDs) while in the air.

This regulatory action follows a rise in global incidents involving lithium-ion batteries. The DGCA circular states that power banks and portable chargers can act as ignition sources, potentially starting an on-board fire. The regulator has directed all airlines to make specific in-flight announcements about the new restrictions.

New Rules Target In-Flight Charging and Stowage

The DGCA's Dangerous Goods Advisory Circular (DGAC) mandates that power banks and spare lithium batteries must only be carried in hand baggage and kept in the cabin. Passengers are no longer permitted to keep these items in overhead bins or charge them using the aircraft’s in-seat power supply systems. The advisory also requires passengers to immediately inform cabin crew if any device emits heat, smoke, or an unusual odor.

• Power Banks and Batteries: Must be carried only in hand baggage.
• Charging: Using or charging power banks is strictly prohibited during flight.
• Reporting: Passengers must report overheating devices to crew immediately.

The core concern is the difficulty of fighting a battery fire at 38,000 feet. Lithium battery fires are “energetic” and self-sustaining, requiring specialized methods to handle. The DGCA noted that devices placed in overhead bins may be obscured and difficult to access, delaying fire detection and response.

The One-Hand-Bag Rule: A Critical Safety Loophole

Aviation safety experts are now highlighting a critical operational loophole that undermines the new rules: the practice of gate-checking carry-on bags. When overhead bins are full, airlines often take passengers' hand luggage—which contains mandatory lithium batteries—at the boarding gate and place them in the aircraft's cargo hold.

This practice defeats the primary safety purpose of the rule, which is to keep lithium batteries in the cabin where a thermal runaway event can be quickly addressed by trained crew. A senior pilot noted that a battery fire in the baggage hold, remaining undetected, could have catastrophic consequences.

Global Industry Response

The DGCA's move aligns with a global tightening of rules by regulators and major international carriers like Emirates and Singapore Airlines. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have long required spare lithium batteries to be carried in the cabin.

IATA's own guidance advises passengers to remove devices from luggage if it is gate-checked. This is a direct measure to prevent the hazard from entering the inaccessible cargo hold.

The Threat of Thermal Runaway

Data from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) underscores the severity of the threat. The FAA recorded 89 incidents involving a battery smoking, igniting, or producing extreme heat aboard aircraft in 2024. This represents a 16% increase from the previous year. The incidents now occur at an average rate of nearly two per week in the US alone.

Portable chargers and power banks are a leading cause of these incidents, accounting for nearly 40% of all FAA-recorded battery events over the last two decades. The thermal runaway process can be triggered by damage, overcharging, or manufacturing defects, causing the battery to erupt in flames and toxic gas.

Experts stress that airlines must strictly enforce the one-hand-bag-per-passenger rule to manage cabin space. This enforcement is seen as the most effective way to ensure that lithium battery-powered devices remain accessible in the cabin, reducing the risk of a major fire in the cargo hold. For more updates on this and other regulatory changes, visit our commercial aviation news at flying.flights.