Power bank rules on Indian flights
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Quick answer
Keep your power bank in your hand baggage. Never put it in a checked bag or the overhead bin. Do not use it or charge it during the flight. Stay at 100 Wh or below, and carry no more than two. A 20,000 mAh power bank is about 74 Wh, so it is fine. A 30,000 mAh one is about 111 Wh, so it is not.
Who this is for
Anyone flying within India or abroad from an Indian airport with a power bank, a laptop or a spare battery in the bag.
The rules in one minute
- Hand baggage only. Power banks and spare batteries go in your cabin bag, not in checked baggage.
- Not in the overhead bin. Keep it in the seat pocket, under the seat or on your person, where you can see it.
- No use in flight. Do not use it to charge your phone and do not charge the power bank itself, even from the seat socket.
- Up to 100 Wh. This is the normal limit. Check the Wh number printed on the power bank.
- Two at most. IATA limits each passenger to two power banks for personal use.
- Cover the terminals. Use the original packing, tape over the ports, or put it in a plastic bag so metal cannot touch the contacts.
What the DGCA circular says
On 11 November 2025 the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued Dangerous Goods Advisory Circular No. 01/2025. Its subject is minimising the risks of lithium batteries carried by passengers and crew.
The circular is addressed to airlines and airport operators. It tells airlines to announce in the cabin that passengers should carry power banks and spare batteries only in hand baggage, and that using or charging power banks is not allowed during the flight. It also says power banks and spare batteries must not be placed in overhead bins. Airlines are asked to teach passengers to prevent short circuits, for example by using plastic bags, taping the terminals or keeping batteries in protective cases.
Airport operators are asked to put up notices and videos at entry gates, check-in counters, lounges, boarding gates and security checks. They are also asked to advise passengers not to charge such devices before boarding.
The circular does not set a Wh number. The size limits come from the international rules and from each airline, which is why the next section matters.
Wh limits: how big is too big
Wh means watt-hour. It tells you how much energy the battery holds. Airlines use Wh, not mAh, because mAh changes with voltage.
In March 2026 the international body ICAO added a rule specifically for power banks. IATA, the airline association, published guidance for airlines on it on 31 March 2026. IATA says the change treats power banks separately from spare batteries, limits each passenger to two power banks for personal use, and prohibits recharging the power bank in flight. Its table shows how the sizes work:
- You may still read older advice online that says 100 to 160 Wh is allowed with airline approval. IATA now lists that approval route for spare batteries, not for power banks.
- IATA says its guidance applies until the 68th edition of its regulations takes effect on 1 January 2027. Airlines and regulators can be stricter than IATA, so your airline’s own page always wins.
| Size | Hand baggage | Checked baggage | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 100 Wh | Yes, maximum 2 | No | No airline approval needed under IATA. Check your airline too. |
| Over 100 Wh, up to 160 Wh | Forbidden for power banks | No | Larger spare batteries for devices may be allowed with airline approval, maximum 2. A power bank is not one of them. |
| Over 160 Wh | No | No | Treated as cargo under the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. |
How to work out Wh from mAh
Many power banks in India show only mAh on the box. The FAA gives the formula: Wh = battery voltage × amp-hours. Amp-hours are mAh divided by 1,000. So:
Wh = mAh × V ÷ 1,000
The battery cells inside a power bank are usually rated at about 3.7 V, so use 3.7 as the voltage. This is an estimate. If the power bank prints a Wh number, trust that instead. If it prints no capacity at all, do not take it on the flight. Akasa Air lists power banks without a clear capacity label among batteries not to travel with.
| Power bank | Wh (estimate) | Under 100 Wh? |
|---|---|---|
| 5,000 mAh | 18.5 Wh | Yes |
| 10,000 mAh | 37 Wh | Yes |
| 20,000 mAh | 74 Wh | Yes |
| 26,800 mAh | 99.2 Wh | Yes, but very close. Check the printed Wh. |
| 30,000 mAh | 111 Wh | No |
| 40,000 mAh | 148 Wh | No |
Cabin or checked baggage
- Power banks and spare batteries: cabin baggage only. IATA’s table says no for checked baggage in every size.
- Phones, laptops and tablets: IATA tells passengers to carry these in hand baggage too, not in checked baggage.
- If your cabin bag is taken at the gate to go in the hold, take out all lithium batteries and devices first. This is IATA’s advice.
What the Indian airlines say
Akasa Air’s official guidance matches the DGCA circular. It says power banks may be carried in cabin baggage, usually up to 100 Wh (about 27,000 mAh), but cannot be switched on, charged or used to charge another device on board. It also says to keep them in the seat pocket, under the seat or on your person, and to protect the terminals with original packaging, tape or a separate plastic bag. It lists damaged, swollen or recalled batteries as not to be carried.
We could not open the baggage and dangerous-goods pages of IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet when we checked on 13 October 2026, so we have not quoted them. Their rules follow the same DGCA circular. Before you fly, read your airline’s current page, because airlines can add limits of their own, such as a cap on the number of batteries.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I use my power bank on a flight in India?
No. The DGCA circular tells airlines to announce that using or charging power banks is not allowed during the flight. You may carry it, but it must stay switched off in your hand baggage area.
Can I keep a power bank in my checked bag?
No. Power banks go in hand baggage only. IATA’s table lists checked baggage as not allowed for power banks of every size.
How many power banks can I carry?
Two for personal use, according to IATA’s March 2026 guidance. Your airline may set its own number, so check its page.
Is a 20,000 mAh power bank allowed?
Normally yes. At about 3.7 V it is roughly 74 Wh, below the 100 Wh limit. Look for the Wh figure printed on the unit to be sure.
Can I charge my power bank at the airport before boarding?
The DGCA circular asks airports to advise passengers not to charge such devices before boarding. Charge it fully at home, then pack it.
Does my power bank need to be BIS certified?
BIS lists power banks under its Compulsory Registration Scheme. Check for the BIS mark and R-number, and read our fake charger guide to verify it in the BIS Care app.
Sources
Checked on . Rules can change, so confirm with the official page before you travel or buy.
- DGCA Dangerous Goods Advisory Circular No. 01/2025, 11 November 2025 (PDF copy)
- IATA: Changes Regarding Power Banks, guidance document for operators, 31 March 2026
- IATA: Safe Travel with Lithium Batteries
- FAA PackSafe: Lithium Batteries (Wh formula)
- Akasa Air: What are the New Rules About Power Banks on Flights?
- BIS: products under the Compulsory Registration Scheme