India Bans Power Bank Use On Flights

Dhaka: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a new advisory banning the use of power banks to charge devices during flights across India. Under the updated aviation safety guidelines, passengers are no longer permitted to use power banks while airborne, including plugging them into aircraft seat power outlets, reports local news portal Aviationnewsa2z on 5 January.

The DGCA's circular also mandates that power banks and similar spare lithium batteries must be carried only in hand baggage and must not be stowed in overhead compartments. Airlines have begun reinforcing this restriction via pre‐flight announcements and cabin crew briefings to ensure passenger compliance and heighten inflight safety awareness.

Passengers may still bring portable chargers on board, but in‐flight use is strictly banned. This means power banks cannot be used to charge phones, tablets, or any other gadgets during the flight.

The rule also extends to using aircraft seat power outlets to charge or power these devices with a power bank.

Airlines are now required to update their safety announcements and instruct crews to monitor compliance throughout flights. Cabin crew will advise passengers to keep power banks within easy reach and inform them that charging the device while airborne is no longer allowed.

The regulator's emphasis on hand baggage storage is aimed at allowing crew to detect and respond to any signs of battery overheating quickly.

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