Can you use a power bank on a plane? The 2026 UK rules, airline by airline

This log is about using a power bank once you sit down. Taking one through security is a different question — that is power banks in UK hand luggage. The rest of the kit is what I would pack for travel power. I do not invent airline policy. The crew’s instruction is final.

The short answer

What changed on 27 March 2026

From 27 March 2026 the CAA lithium and power-bank rules set a UK default. The old habit — treat use as allowed, then check the airline — is the wrong way round. Recharging a bank on board is banned outright. Using one to charge a phone is advised against unless the airline you booked says yes. CAA passenger guidance is the short public version.

The rules in plain English

• Carry-on only. Never the hold.
• Individually protected when not in use.
• Must not be recharged on board.
• Should not be used to charge other portable electronic devices on board.
• Maximum two per person.
• Up to 100Wh without airline approval. Greater than 100Wh but not exceeding 160Wh needs the airline’s approval.

The CAA lithium-battery checklist (22 Oct 2026) says the same thing in one line: check that your airline allows it. A CAA-commissioned survey in that same release found 54% of air passengers now carry a power bank when they fly (up from 49%), 31% still wrongly believe items with lithium batteries should go in checked luggage, and awareness of the rules is at 86% among recent flyers.

“Must not” vs “should not”: why airlines still differ

“Must not be recharged on board” is a ban. No UK carrier in the table below lets you plug the bank into seat power. “Should not be used to charge other portable electronic devices on board” is the CAA’s default advice. An airline can still allow device charging. Ryanair does, outside taxi, take-off and landing. easyJet, Virgin Atlantic, Jet2 and TUI say no. British Airways does not say, so the CAA “should not” applies. The crew’s instruction is final.

Airline-by-airline table

Official pages, checked 26 Oct 2026. Airlines change these rules. Click through before you fly. If the crew tell you to put it away, put it away.

TUI’s row cites the TUI Group “Items allowed on board TUI Airlines” PDF (ED67 V2, May 2026), not a tui.co.uk HTML page. I could not confirm a current tui.co.uk page that states the use rule. Read the TUI Group PDF.

The short version: only Ryanair, of these six, explicitly allows charging a device from a power bank — and not during taxi, take-off or landing. Nobody lets you recharge the bank. BA is silent on device charging, so treat it as no unless the crew say otherwise.

easyJet

easyJet’s cited page is blunt: “Power banks are prohibited from use on easyJet.” That is use, not carriage. You can still take a bank in the cabin. You cannot run a phone from it once you sit down. Recharging the bank is also no. The same page uses a 160Wh figure, which differs from the CAA’s 100Wh-without-approval wording — quote easyJet, not the CAA, for that carrier’s size line. Stowage is not named on the cited page. Rules checked 26 Oct 2026.

Ryanair

Ryanair is the exception in this set. Device charging is allowed “except during taxi, take-off, and landing, or when instructed otherwise by the crew.” Recharging the bank itself is banned “at any time.” Two banks, max 100Wh, on you or in the under-seat bag, never overhead. Rules checked 26 Oct 2026.

British Airways

BA’s page is silent on charging a device from a power bank. It does not allow it and it does not ban it. The CAA “should not” therefore applies: do not use the bank to charge a phone unless the crew tell you otherwise. What BA does say: “Up to 2 power banks per person.” “Power banks must display capacity rating information.” “Power banks must not exceed 100Wh.” “Aircraft seat power supplies are to be used exclusively for charging personal electronic devices (PEDs), not power banks.” “Power banks must be stored either in the seat pocket or in a bag placed under the seat in front.” Rules checked 26 Oct 2026.

Virgin Atlantic

Virgin’s ban covers every size they list. On the ≤100Wh row (no approval needed): “Each person is limited to a maximum of 2 power banks … Spare Batteries/power banks must be stowed in an accessible location onboard and not in the overhead lockers. Power banks cannot be used onboard to charge devices and cannot be plugged in to our onboard power supply.” The 100–160Wh row (needs approval) repeats that sentence. Rules checked 26 Oct 2026.

Jet2

Jet2’s restricted-items page: “power banks must: be carried in your hand luggage and when onboard, your hand luggage be placed under your seat, not be charged whilst onboard the aircraft, and not be used to charge or power any device when onboard.” Max two per person, each ≤160Wh. “Jet2.com gives automatic operator approval for power banks with a battery capacity exceeding 100Wh, but not exceeding 160Wh.” Banks without a clear Wh rating are forbidden. A 26 Aug 2026 reminder repeats under the seat, not the overhead locker. Rules checked 26 Oct 2026.

TUI

This row cites a TUI Group PDF, not a tui.co.uk HTML page: “Items allowed on board TUI Airlines,” ED67 V2, May 2026. Section 20, Power Banks: “must not exceed 100 Wh … b) Cannot be used on board to charge other devices c) Cannot be charged on board. d) No more than two power banks per person; e) Be placed under the seat in front or in another designated area such as the seat-back pocket during any phase of flight.” Rules checked 26 Oct 2026.

Where to put your power bank on board

On you, in the seat pocket, or under the seat. Never in the overhead locker. The CAA checklist says keep it easily accessible. Ryanair wants it on you or in the under-seat bag. BA wants the seat pocket or a bag under the seat. Virgin wants an accessible place, not the lockers. Jet2 wants the bag under the seat. TUI wants under the seat or the seat-back pocket during any phase of flight. easyJet’s cited page does not name a pocket; the CAA line still applies.

Accessible means you can see it and the crew can reach it. A problem in a closed locker is a problem you find late. Carry rules — two banks, printed Wh, cabin bag only — live on the hand-luggage log.

What to do if your power bank gets hot or smokes on a flight

Use only these steps. Each one is from the CAA’s six-point checklist (22 Oct 2026). Do not add your own.

1. If it starts to get hot: switch it off, stop charging, and tell the cabin crew straight away. That covers power banks, vapes, phones and tablets.
2. If it starts to smoke: tell the cabin crew straight away. “They are trained to deal with the issue safely.”

Prevention is the rest of the checklist: keep it in the cabin and never in checked luggage; never charge it on the flight; keep it easily accessible if you use it. Glenn Bradley, CAA Head of Flight Operations, puts cabin carriage as “where any issue can be dealt with”.

How to stay charged without breaking the rules

Charge everything before boarding. At the gate, plug the wall brick into a socket and empty it into the phone and the bank — not the other way round once you sit down. On board, plug the phone straight into seat power where there is any. Use low-power mode. Only use a bank on an airline that allows it. Today that is Ryanair, and only outside taxi, take-off and landing.

MagDeck 10 is the Anker MagGo 10,000 mAh Qi2 I would charge before you fly and use at the gate, or on Ryanair if the crew have not said otherwise. Ten thousand milliamp-hours at 3.7V is about 37Wh. I do not dropship it. The card is affiliate.

The gate brick is a wall charger, not a bank. FlightBrick 100 is Anker’s 100W 3-port GaN with folding UK pins. Arc 65W GaN is the dropship 65W dual USB-C if you can wait the window. Neither flies as a spare battery. Pack one if a lounge socket is the last honest charge of the day.

What else goes in the sleeve is on what I would pack for travel power.

The label, the sum, and the terminals

The Wh or mAh rating must be clearly printed on the power bank, or security may take it off you. That is on the BA baggage page. Jet2 forbids banks without a clear Wh rating.

If the case only prints milliamp-hours, the sum is Wh = mAh × 3.7V ÷ 1000. A 10,000mAh bank is about 37Wh. Use the nominal cell voltage — typically 3.7V — not the 5V USB output. If the label already prints Wh, use that number.

Cover the terminals. A pouch or the original packaging stops a short against keys or coins. The CAA’s 27 March rules also list taping over the terminals or a separate plastic bag.

Questions people type

Can I use a power bank on a plane in the UK?

Usually not. You cannot recharge it on board, and the CAA says you should not use it to charge devices. A few airlines, such as Ryanair, allow device charging outside taxi, take-off and landing. Check yours first. The crew’s instruction is final.

Can I use a power bank on an easyJet flight?

No. You can carry one in the cabin, but easyJet’s page says power banks are prohibited from use. Never recharge the bank on board either.

Can I charge my phone with a power bank on Ryanair?

Yes, except during taxi, take-off and landing, or when the crew says otherwise. Never recharge the bank itself, at any time.

Can I charge a power bank from the plane’s USB socket?

No. UK rules say power banks must not be recharged on board. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic say this specifically about seat power.

How many power banks can I take?

Two per person under the CAA rules. Ryanair, BA, Virgin, Jet2 and TUI all state two as well. Always check the airline you booked.

Why can’t power banks go in the overhead locker?

So they stay accessible and a problem can be seen and dealt with quickly. Ryanair, BA, Virgin and Jet2 all require them to stay out of the overhead lockers.

What should I do if my power bank gets hot or starts smoking on a flight?

If it starts to get hot: switch it off, stop charging, and tell the cabin crew straight away. If it starts to smoke: tell the crew at once. They are trained to deal with the issue safely.

Can I keep my power bank in my checked bag to be safe?

No. Power banks must go in hand luggage. A CAA-commissioned survey found 31% of passengers still get this wrong. Cabin carriage is where any issue can be dealt with.

Does this apply to MagSafe or wireless power banks?

Yes. Any power bank counts. Magnetic or wireless does not change the CAA rules or the airline bans on use and recharge.

The affiliate bit, once

Those buttons are tagged Amazon UK affiliate links. Al may earn a commission. Read the listing, not the title. Card prices are approx. snapshots — Amazon’s live checkout may differ. I do not invent stock.

Two banks. Cabin bag. Printed Wh. Usually leave it in the pocket. Check the airline. The crew’s instruction is final.