New rules relating to power banks have been introduced by Lufthansa Group. Passengers may no longer carry more than two power banks and their use is not permitted during flights.
Passengers may not charge their power banks nor use them to charge electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets.
The new rules apply on flights operated by Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways and Eurowings, as well as the regional carriers Air Dolomiti and Edelweiss.
The change is to enhance safety. That is because they contain lithium batteries, so malfunctioning power banks are a potential fire risk.
Each passenger is permitted to bring a maximum of two power banks onto Lufthansa Group aircraft.
They must be kept on the passenger, stowed in the seat pocket or in carry-on baggage under the seat in front of the person who brought them onboard. They may no longer be placed in overhead baggage bins.
The maximum battery power permitted is 100 watt-hours. Power banks with a battery power of between 100 and 160 watt-hours may only be brought onboard with prior airline approval.
An exception applies to power banks used to power essential medical devices. They may continue to be used for that purpose.
The new rules are in line with the latest recommendations from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), International Air Transport Association (IATA) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
