Lithium Battery Policy for Domestic and International Flights
Can I bring my batteries on the plane? Lithium batteries are allowed on planes, but the rules vary by airline. We look at each major airline and summarize their lithium battery policy. These policies change, so if you’re planning on carrying on a lot of gear, please double check with the airline.
Voltaic Systems’ power banks and IoT battery packs have all passed the UN 38.3 test required by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). In addition, they have the following safety protections: short circuit, over charge, over discharge, over current and over temperature. Batteries contained in our solar backpacks are all easily removable if you need to check them. View our Traveling with Solar Guide for more information.
United States Domestic Airlines Lithium Battery Policy
| Airline | Battery Packs & Loose Batteries (100 Watt hours or less) | Battery Installed in Equipment (Laptop, phone, tablet, etc.) | Large Battery Packs | Smart Bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Carry-on only, No specified quantity | Carry on or checked | 2 spares allowed in 100-160 Wh range, carryon only | Lithium battery must be removed |
| American Airlines | Carry-on only, “unlimited quantity” | 2 of each device and 2 spare batteries per device for personal use. Carry-on only | 2 spares allowed in 100-160 Wh range, carry on only with “airline approval” | No policy |
| Delta | Carry-on only, no specified quantity. Spares must be packed separately in carry-on as well. | 160Wh per device can be checked or carried on, no specified quantity | No more than (2) spares of 100-160Wh | No policy |
| Frontier | Carry-on only, limited to (2) batteries. Must be packed separately. Lithium metal max 2g, lithium ion max 8g | Checked only | Lithium metal max 2g, lithium ion max 8g | No Policy |
| JetBlue | Carry-on only, no specified quantity | Carry-on or checked | 1 spare max at 300Wh or 2 spares maxed at 160Wh each in carry on. Must notify flight crew | No Policy |
| Southwest | Carry-on only. Limit 20 per person | Not specified | Not specified | Loose batteries can be “integrated” into smart bags |
| United | Must be packed individually, not specified carry-on or checked | 100Wh max in carry-on or checked bag | Separately packed 100-160Wh allowed in carry on | No Policy |
International Airlines Lithium Battery Policy
| Airline | Battery Packs & Loose Batteries (100 Watt hours or less) | Battery Installed in Equipment (Laptop, phone, tablet, etc. 100 Watt hours or less) | Large Battery Packs | Smart Bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air France | Carry-on only | Carry-on or checked luggage | Approval required – allowed in carry-on (loose) or and checked luggage (installed in equipment). Max 2 per person | No policy |
| Cathay Pacific | Carry-on only, 20 pieces per customer. | Allowed in carry-on or checked luggage | 100-160Wh allowed in carry-on and checked luggage inside equipment | Considered as a power bank or spare lithium battery. Remove the battery if checking. |
| Emirates | Carry-on only, 20 maximum. | Carry-on or checked, maximum of 15 devices | Need approval. Maximum 2 in carry-on only | Battery must be removed if bag is checked |
| Etihad | Carry-on only, no specified quantity | Carry-on | Requires prior approval from Etihad Dangerous Goods team | “Declare to staff” – remove battery for carry-on |
| Lufthansa | Carry-on only, for personal use only | Carry-on or checked | Approval required, carry-on only, 2 maximum | No policy |
| Qantas | Carry-on only | 100Wh max in carry-on or checked bag | Must be declared, carry-on only | No Policy |
| Singapore | Carry-on only, up to 20 batteries | Maximum of 20 devices, across checked and carry-on | Maximum of 2 devices, carry-on only | No Policy |
A couple other common recommendations:
– tape or cover the terminals on loose batteries to prevent them from short circuiting
– don’t travel with damaged batteries
These restrictions are pretty universal but if you do not see your airline listed above, you can go directly to the airline’s website for more information.
How do I know how large my battery is in Watt hours or Lithium Content?
The airlines break down batteries into sizes either by their “Watt hours” (Wh) or, less commonly, grams of lithium content. Almost all phones, tablets and laptops will be considered in the small category and well less than 100 Wh. If the battery is removable, pull it out and the capacity will most likely be listed on the battery. If not, you can calculate it by multiplying the Voltage by the mAh and divide by 1,000.
To get over 100 Wh, you are either dealing with a battery on a commercial grade video camera or a really large power bank. All power banks are required to have the capacity listed on the surface of the product.
If your airline breaks down batteries by their lithium content, 8 grams is equivalent to a 100 Wh lithium ion battery.
Feel free to ask questions in the comments.
if my battery exceeds 160Wh but has a charge indicator on the side and I deplete it to below that can I get an exception to fly with it? Its a DJI Matrice 300 TB60 Intelligent Flight Battery
I don’t believe that will work. The rules are based on the rated capacity, not the charge level of the battery. I would check your airline’s latest rules on lithium batteries.
Hi,
Is 100WH the total you can carry on a plane i.e all the batteries combined must not exceed 100WH or each battery individually must not exceed 100WH?
The latter. You can carry multiple batteries that collectively exceed 100Wh, but no single battery should exceed 100Wh. Some airlines allow single batteries over 100Wh but you should definitely read their policies carefully if you fall into that category.