Is it getting harder to fly with Batteries?
You may have read that American Airlines has introduced strict new regulations that limit the number of portable chargers (power banks) that can be taken on board. These new regulations limit the total number of power banks to just two per person, and they need to be under 100Wh.
Starting on May 1st, American Airlines is introducing new restrictions regarding power banks onboard flights:
- Maximum of two per passenger (under 100Wh)
- Carry-on only
- Must remain accessible, not stored in overhead bins
- No in-flight charging of batteries
This all stems from a number of incidents where cheap power banks were catching fire and causing major issues on flights. According to FAA data, in 2025 alone, there were 97 lithium battery incidents on aircraft, with 82 involving passenger planes and 34 involving batteries or battery packs.
Now, you may well be thinking that this is going to be a big issue when travelling with camera batteries; however, according to my research, these regulations only apply to portable chargers (power banks).
If you look at the section titled Lithium batteries on the American Airlines website that relates to Restricted Items, it still clearly states that you can carry up to four batteries that are less than 100Wh and two that are between 100 and 160Wh.
Now, here is where things could get tricky, and the waters are muddy. As a lot of the new batteries have USB-C outputs, you may find yourself arguing with a TSA agent or airline staff, because they could view your camera battery as being a power bank.
There isn’t one hard, concrete rule governing Lithium-Ion batteries when flying, and most airlines tend to have their own regulations as to how many batteries you can carry and what the Wh capacity needs to be.
As an example, above is the current regulations for Delta Airlines when it comes to taking Lithium-Ion batteries on board a flight.
It is always a good idea to do your own research carefully, and if in doubt, call up the airline. The last thing you want ti to arrive at an airport and then find out you can’t travel with the amount of batteries you require to do a job.
