Flying with Batteries in 2026 – What the New Global Power Bank Rules Mean for Filmmakers

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by Nino LeitnerMay 11^th, 2026

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American Airlines tightened its onboard battery rules on May 1, 2026, joining a global wave of carriers that have rewritten their power bank policies in the past five months. The crackdown is real, but for filmmakers travelling with V-mount, Gold-mount, or B-mount cine batteries, the practical impact is far smaller than the headlines suggest.

The American policy is one piece of a coordinated international tightening that has been rolling out across the world’s major carriers since January. The new rules target power banks (portable chargers) rather than the spare lithium-ion batteries most professionals fly with, and the underlying framework comes from the International Civil Aviation Organization, not from any individual airline. For anyone planning a shoot abroad in the coming months, here is what has actually changed, what has not, and how to walk onto a plane with your kit intact.

What American Airlines actually changed

Effective May 1, 2026, American Airlines limits each passenger to two power banks, each rated under 100Wh. The devices must travel in carry-on baggage, must remain accessible at all times (in a seat pocket, in a bag under the seat, or on the passenger’s person), and cannot be recharged using the aircraft’s USB ports or seat power outlets. Stowing them in overhead bins is prohibited. The rule applies to portable chargers and suitcases with built-in charging ports, not to spare lithium-ion batteries used to power cameras.

According to American Airlines’ own Restricted Items page, passengers may still carry up to four spare lithium-ion batteries below 100Wh, plus two between 100Wh and 160Wh. That means a typical V-mount, Gold-mount, or B-mount loadout under 100Wh per brick is still permitted, although individual airlines reserve the right to interpret “personal use” however they wish. Battery manufacturer Core SWX flagged the change in a customer newsletter on the day the rule took effect, with CEO Ross Kanarek encouraging crews to coordinate on-location power through the company’s U.S. rental network if travel limits start to bite.

Why everyone is rewriting their rules at once

The catalyst was the Air Busan Airbus A321 destroyed by a power bank fire on a runway in South Korea in January 2025. All occupants survived, but the aircraft was a write-off, and the incident triggered a chain reaction of policy changes. The U.S. FAA logged 97 verified lithium battery incidents on aircraft in 2025, with battery packs and vape devices accounting for the bulk of cases. A second high-profile event, an overhead-bin power bank fire on Air China Flight CA139 in October 2025, prompted United Airlines to ban overhead-bin storage of power banks shortly after.

In response, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) approved an addendum to its Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, with an applicability date of March 27, 2026. The addendum limits passengers to two power banks per person, prohibits recharging them during flight, and is being rolled out across all 193 ICAO member states. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the U.S. FAA, and IATA have all aligned with the same framework. American Airlines has, in essence, adopted the ICAO baseline and applied it to its own operations.

Power banks versus cine batteries: the line professionals need to draw

The single most important point for working filmmakers is that none of this changes the long-standing IATA framework for spare camera batteries. Spare lithium-ion batteries below 100Wh remain permitted in carry-on, with a personal-use ceiling that varies significantly by airline. IATA’s broader guidance suggests up to 20 spares per passenger; American Airlines, for instance, lists a four-battery limit below 100Wh (plus two between 100Wh and 160Wh) on its Restricted Items page. Spares between 100Wh and 160Wh are universally capped at two per passenger and require airline approval. Anything above 160Wh remains banned from passenger aircraft outright and must move as cargo under hazmat shipping rules. None of those thresholds have moved.

Where filmmakers can still get caught is at the security checkpoint. Many modern cine batteries now feature USB-C input and output ports, and a TSA officer or check-in agent who sees a USB-C jack on a Wh-rated brick may classify it as a power bank rather than a spare battery. That recategorization, even if technically incorrect, can collapse your allowance from “many” to “two” on the spot. Travelling with manufacturer documentation, the original packaging, or a printout of the battery’s spec sheet is no longer overkill; it is basic insurance.

How the major international carriers compare

The Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Edelweiss, Air Dolomiti, and ITA Airways, moved first among European carriers, on January 15, 2026. Two power banks per passenger, no in-flight use of any kind, no recharging via aircraft outlets, and no overhead-bin storage. Banks between 100Wh and 160Wh require advance airline approval; above 160Wh, they are not allowed.

On a personal note, the CineD team had several extremely disappointing experiences with Austrian Airlines over the last few months when it comes to flying with gear. We recommend not to use Austrian or any Lufthansa group airline if you are a working camera operator flying with gear.

Emirates went earliest and strictest. Since October 1, 2025, the Dubai-based carrier has limited passengers to a single power bank under 100Wh, with no in-flight use permitted at all. Singapore Airlines and its low-cost subsidiary Scoot followed the ICAO baseline on April 15, 2026, with a two-bank limit and a full ban on in-flight use. Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, Asiana, EVA Air, Thai Airways, ANA, Japan Airlines, AirAsia, VietJet, and Starlux have all introduced in-flight use bans through 2025 and early 2026. Qantas, Jetstar, and Virgin Australia adopted the same approach in December 2025. British Airways, Qatar Airways, and Air India have also aligned.

Inside the United States, the picture is uneven. Southwest cut the limit to one power bank from April 20, 2026, the strictest U.S. policy on the books. Delta is matching American’s two-bank, 100Wh, no-recharging rule from May 1. United already bans overhead-bin storage following the Air China incident. JetBlue and Alaska have so far stayed at the previous baseline, but the trajectory of U.S. regulation suggests further alignment over the summer.

What still needs to happen before you fly

The pre-shoot checklist has not changed dramatically, but every step now carries more weight. Confirm the Wh rating of every battery you intend to fly with (Wh equals mAh multiplied by voltage, divided by 1,000), and make sure that rating is printed legibly on the cell itself. Tape over exposed terminals, or pack each spare in its original packaging or a dedicated battery sleeve. Pack everything in your carry-on, never in checked baggage. Confirm in advance, in writing where possible, the carriage approval for any battery between 100Wh and 160Wh. And keep in mind that “personal use” thresholds are negotiated in real time at the gate, not codified in any one document.

For sub-100Wh cine batteries, options have multiplied in recent years. Bebob’s B90cineML, SWIT’s BIVO 98, and similar 95Wh-to-99Wh designs were specifically engineered to slip under the regulatory ceiling, and the new tightening on power banks makes those designs more attractive than ever. Filmmakers who still rely on 150Wh or 160Wh bricks should confirm the two-spare rule with each leg of their itinerary, as some carriers (notably Lufthansa, on routes since well before 2026) treat the 100Wh ceiling more strictly than others. CineD’s earlier coverage of the cine battery transport configurator is still a useful reference for how dramatically airline-by-airline interpretations can diverge.

Has the new wave of battery rules already disrupted one of your shoots? Which airlines have given you the most trouble at the gate? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!