March 27, 2025: Hong Kong’s aviation regulator has issued a ban on passengers using lithium battery power banks during flights or stowing the devices in overhead compartments.

The move by the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (CAD), announced on March 24, comes after several international airlines introduced a strict ban on power banks being used on flights, following onboard fires.

The CAD said the ban comes into effect on April 7. Local airlines will then be required to stop passengers using power banks to charge other portable electronic devices and/or recharge power banks during flight. 

Stowage of power banks in the overhead compartments will also be prohibited from the same date.

The CAD said it was “highly concerned about recent safety incidents suspected to have been caused by passengers carrying and using lithium battery power banks on aircraft”.

Batteries International reported last month that South Korea was tightening rules for power banks and e-cigarettes carried on airplanes in the wake of a fire on an Air Busan flight.

As of March 1, the lithium battery devices were banned from storage in overhead bins and must instead be kept on a passenger’s person or in a seat pocket.

Other airlines that have introduced restrictions on power banks include Thai Airways and Air Asia.

Thermal runaway incidents on aircraft soared to a five-year high last year, according to a recent report by the safety and compliance organization Underwriters Laboratories.