Southwest Just Announced a New Rule About Portable Chargers. Here’s What Travelers Need to Know |
Southwest Just Announced a New Rule About Portable Chargers. Here’s What Travelers Need to Know
The airline is limiting passengers to one portable charger and tightening safety rules as lithium‑battery fires rise across the industry.
BY LEILA SHERIDAN, NEWS WRITER
Illustration: Inc; Photo: Getty Images
As airlines scramble to offset rising fuel costs, Southwest Airlines is making a different kind of change, one that targets what passengers pack, not what they pay.
Starting April 20, the airline will limit passengers to one portable charger per person, banning chargers from both checked bags and overhead bins, according to ABC News. Instead, they must be kept within reach in the cabin.
The move builds on an existing policy requiring passengers to keep chargers visible while in use so flight attendants can quickly respond if they overheat, AP News reported. The new rule follows global guidance. Just last month, the International Civil Aviation Organization recommended a limit of two chargers per passenger.
The tightening rules reflect a growing concern across the industry that lithium battery fires are becoming more frequent as travelers carry more devices.
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“A huge part of the concern here is seeing that number of incidents continue to increase, correlating, of course, to the number of devices that people are bringing on planes,” Jeff Marootian, CEO of UL Standards & Engagement, told AP News. He added that many travelers still don’t fully understand the risks.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported 97 lithium battery incidents in 2025, with portable chargers driving a significant share. Marootian said his organization hears about roughly two incidents per week, with a 42 percent increase in charger-related events last year, according to ABC News.
Some incidents have been severe. In January 2025, a fire aboard an Air Busan plane preparing for takeoff in South Korea forced the evacuation of all 176 passengers after flames burned through part of the aircraft, according to ABC News.