Power Banks: Are They Allowed On Flights?

by iCentral Mobile Pte Ltd

 

Power Bank On Flight

 

Excited to kickstart your travels again with the launch of the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) recently? Whether you are going off for a short trip or a long holiday, you are probably going to bring along your all-important electronic devices like your mobile phone and cameras. And that’s why portable power banks are essential to ensure your devices are never out of battery for that amazing vacation shot or video!

But wait, are power banks even allowed on flights? The good news is, the strict rules about power banks have eased up over the years, allowing certain specifications of power banks onboard planes.

Want to bring along your handy power bank for your trip? Make sure you check that it fulfils the following criteria!

 

Power Banks Not Exceeding 160 Watt-hour rating

Watt-hour (Wh)? That’s just the international unit used to specify the capacity of any battery. You should be able to easily check this on your device.

Sometimes, it is expressed in mAh (milliampere-hours). Not to worry, here’s how you convert it easily to Wh to check if your device is within the acceptable limits of the CAAS guidelines:

 

Watt-hour = [ Capacity in mAh x 3.7 V (usually the voltage of most lithium ion cells) ] ÷ 1000

 

Here’s an example of how we would calculate it for one of our popular power bank models the AUKEY PB-Y37. With a capacity of 20,000 mAh, here’s how it would translate to Wh:

 

Watt-hour = [ 20,000 mAh x 3.7 V (usually the voltage of most lithium ion cells) ] ÷ 1000  = 74 Wh.

 

74 Wh is within the 160 Wh rating and hence is safe to bring on board a plane.

 

However, do note that this Wh rating is a guideline and may vary across different airlines. For instance, Singapore Airlines have a much stricter limitation of up to 100 Wh.

 

 

Other Useful Criteria to Be Aware Of

Apart from the most important limitation of the power bank capacity, here are some other limitations you want to consider:

  • A maximum of 2 spare lithium batteries (power bank or otherwise) is allowed per passenger
  • Should be in original packaging or at least in a protective casing to prevent short circuit accidents.
  • Not allowed as checked-in luggage (only for carry-ons) as one of the largest concerns for batteries is that they may combust. However, if you stick with the restrictions to not exceed the amount of Wh, then all is good.

 

AUKEY PB-Y37: A Great Travel Companion

If you are on the lookout for an awesome power bank that fulfils all the flying restrictions, then you absolutely cannot miss out on the AUKEY PB-Y37:

  • Airplane compliant
  • Large capacity of 20,000 mAh that allows you to charge up your devices multiple times in a day while you are on the road and cannot access power points.
  • Fast charging – so you can get your devices ready for that all-important shot

Doesn’t sound perfect for your next trip? Head over to our online store to grab yours today.

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