The airlines connecting Lanzarote with the rest of Europe, such as Binter, Iberia Express, Ryanair, or EasyJet, maintain a strict safety protocol based on international IATA regulations to prevent fires due to overheating of lithium batteries.
The current regulation establishes that portable chargers must travel exclusively in hand luggage (never in the hold) with the connectors insulated against short circuits.
Likewise, the general capacity is limited to a maximum of 100 Wh (approximately 20,000 mAh) without prior authorization, and models over 160 Wh are prohibited. To avoid heat accumulation, the regulation discourages their use inside the aircraft or leaving them stored in backpacks and overhead compartments.
This regulatory framework has been progressively tightened globally following several serious incidents in the cabin, such as the diversion of a Swiss flight to Dublin on August 9th due to the presence of smoke.
International bodies such as EASA, FAA, and ICAO—which set a limit of two batteries per person in March 2026 and banned their recharging on board—have driven this transition, also supported by national prohibitions such as the one imposed by Japan in April.
Seven airlines with additional restrictions
Following these directives, several international airlines have implemented much stricter measures regarding the placement and use of these devices during flights:
In Europe, Lufthansa Group and Swiss have limited the number of units per traveler to two since mid-January and require them to be placed under the front seat or in the front pocket, prohibiting their use on board and storage in overhead compartments.
For their part, Emirates applies a limit of a single unit (less than 100 Wh) since October 1, 2025. Their use, charging at aircraft outlets, and placement in overhead compartments or checked baggage are prohibited.
At Singapore Airlines, ICAO guidelines were adapted from April 15th, allowing up to two units exclusively in accessible seat locations, with no possibility of using or charging them in flight.
Thai Airways also expressly prohibited the use of portable batteries throughout the entire flight from March 15, 2025, as a preventive measure.
In the case of Cathay Pacific, it has been prohibited since April 7, 2025, to use or recharge these devices on board. They must be mandatorily placed under the front seat to detect any potential smoke emission.
Korean Air and Hanjin Group airlines (Asiana, Jin Air, Air Busan, Air Seoul) radically prohibited the use and recharging of batteries on board since January 26, 2026, requiring terminal insulation and a total ban in overhead compartments.
Virgin Australia also, after a cabin fire registered in July, implemented on December 1, 2025, the prohibition of use on board and the obligation to keep them within reach inside the lower seat space.
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