NZ Airlines PowerBank use and charging bans

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wellygary

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#323347 21-Nov-2025 16:02

This morning the big two airlines in Australia , Qantas and Virgin banned the on board use and charging of lithium power banks, (and limited passengers to 2 each onboard)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/360894527/two-australias-biggest-airlines-ban-use-power-banks-flights

And unsurprisingly it has now been confirmed it is a network wide policy for the Qantas group , so will also apply to Jetstar NZ from 15 December,
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/579627/jetstar-flights-to-ban-use-of-portable-power-banks-on-all-flights-air-new-zealand-looking-into-it

But until AVSEC change their rules, Jetstar's requirement of ""It needs to be within easy reach" will simply be unenforceable as there is no way the airlines can check if your bag in the overhead locker has a powerbank in it...

alasta

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#3436430 21-Nov-2025 17:21

It's interesting that they ban the 'use' of them, but passengers are still allowed to carry them. What do we know about the fire risk when current is being drawn from the device, versus when it is idle?

KiwiSurfer

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#3436431 21-Nov-2025 17:37

alasta:

It's interesting that they ban the 'use' of them, but passengers are still allowed to carry them. What do we know about the fire risk when current is being drawn from the device, versus when it is idle?

Given how hot they get when being charged or being drained it makes sense that the highest risk is during active use.

danielparker

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#3436519 21-Nov-2025 21:21

I quite often travel with a metric s**t ton of lithium batteries.. Up to 99Wh batteries, and usually around 15 of them.

I keep them seperate in a second bag inside my carry on, and while I get pulled about 95% of the time going through security, as a general rule, I know the current rules and its fairly straight forward. They are transported, but not used in flight.

I was booked on Emirates to go to Athens a few weeks back. They changed the rules to allow one power bank. I supplied them with photos of what I was carrying - Like these - https://photogear.co.nz/shop-by-department/smallrig-vb50-mini-v-mount-battery-3579/

They are V-Mount camera batteries.. but they have USB ports on them. I sent through photos etc as well.

They meet both their definition of a camera battery, and of a powerbank.

They told me:

"IATA has mandated a restriction to be placed by carriers on the carriage of Spare Lithium batteries or Consumer Electronic Devices containing Lithium or Lithium-Ion Cells or Batteries as Carry-on Baggage.

Lithium ION batteries exceeding a watt-hour rating of 100 watt-hour rating but not exceeding 160 watt-hour rating may be carried as spare batteries in carry-on baggage ONLY or in equipment in either checked or carry-on baggage. No more than TWO individually protected spare batteries per person may be carried as carry-on baggage. Most of the batteries used in common consumer products such as laptops/cameras fall under the 160 watt-hour rating.

Limitations have been adopted on the number of portable electronic devices (PED) and the number of spare batteries for the PED that may be carried by customers and crew. The limit is a maximum of 15 PED and a maximum of 20 spare batteries per customer. These maximums may be exceeded by the customer obtaining pre-approval from the operator.

Lithium or Lithium-Ion Cells or Batteries must be individually protected to prevent short circuits.

So in his case he can take up to 20 of these small batteries as they are only 50Wh which is under the 100Wh rating."

When asked to put this on letterhead it was declined. 15 x $230 = $3500ish.. I couldnt show up to the airport just to have my entire purpose for travel destroyed.. So I changed airlines.. for $2000 more.

What do I do? I take photographs at Marathons worldwide.. I dont know at this point what we are going to do to work through this.

Daniel

SomeoneSomewhere

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#3436525 21-Nov-2025 21:49

I imagine it's increasingly going to be recommended to hire them at the destination. I doubt airfreight want to be responsible for transporting used batteries either.

Unless they're fully packaged separately in fire bags, 15x100Wh batteries is functionally little different to 1x1.5kWh battery even if the rules say it's fine.

At least it looks like V-mount is kind-of standard unlike the variety of different incompatible power tool types.

danielparker

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#3436534 21-Nov-2025 22:22

SomeoneSomewhere:

Unless they're fully packaged separately in fire bags, 15x100Wh batteries is functionally little different to 1x1.5kWh battery even if the rules say it's fine.

I would do this completely if I also was not put up against weight restrictions for carry on.. but I am.

If the weight wasnt an issue I would quite happily LiPo bag every battery.. just like I do with my RC Cars when charging..

Daniel

tripper1000

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#3455089 22-Jan-2026 13:10

IATA has had some version of this rule for the last 15 or 20 years, however the airlines enforcement of it is a bit cyclic. There have been serious plane crashes due to batteries spontaneously combusting, such as UPS Flight 6 in 2010 (B747 freighter). Sometimes airline enforcement is reinvigorated after they experience a battery overheat or fire that scares them.

Generally speaking, they prefer batteries to be in you carry-on/cabin so that if something goes wrong (and it does several times a year) it is easily and quickly detected and it can be dealt with (there's a bunch of news stories around where smoking devices have been drowned in campaign buckets or sinks to make them safe). If a bag deep in the hold catches fire, it can't be dealt with and can get out of control which can be really bad since aircraft are frequently hours away from a landing site but they can't reliably fly for hours while on fire.

Lithium batteries are like nail polish remover aka acetone - people are inevitable going to bring small quantities on board, and it is not practical to try and stop it. But that doesn't mean a photographer can bring large quantities of batteries on board for their next job any more than a panel-beater can bring large quantities of acetone on board for their next job.

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empacher48

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#3455095 22-Jan-2026 14:23

Personally, I would much prefer a lithium battery to catch fire in the cabin, where cabin crew can drop it into a rubbish bin with water and leave it sit for the next few hours, than sitting in the hold where it would burn through the aircraft structure.

See the Air Busan A321 fire while taxiing...

https://avherald.com/h?article=523644ed&opt=0

ezbee

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#3455109 22-Jan-2026 15:41

No easy answers.
No one thought to equip airliners with cabin bag sized sealed airlocks so problem can be ejected.
A droppable battery drop-tank?
Even the panel-beater could bring his favorite welding set. :-)

Unfortunately, airlines have been seeing more close calls.
Packs getting larger, faster charge/discharge that stresses the battery.
Maybe your holiday is the only workout mostly just sitting around discharged battery has had.

Flood of dodgy professional looking products, bearing any discharge rating, safety/quality mark you want.
Who knew grades of battery that 'just' survive exit from factory, age very badly, have no life under any stress.

Even well-respected brands Romoss and Anker had to recall over 1 million batteries for cost reduction that went too far after (tariffs?).
https://www.tech360.tv/anker-romoss-recall-over-1-2-million-power-banks-due-to-fire-hazards

Its not just heat and fire, they spew highly toxic and corrosive gases in proportion to their size.
A fireproof bag does not stop that.

Jvipers2

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#3455129 22-Jan-2026 18:29

I believe most of the problem is due to poor quality control of the batteries. Recently watched this:
I'm surprised they're allowed to be sold everywhere in the world.

danielparker:
What do I do? I take photographs at Marathons worldwide.. I dont know at this point what we are going to do to work through this.

Daniel

Sounds like a business opportunity...have battery rental places near international airport...