Portable chargers bring immense convenience for travelers, but U.S.-based airline Southwest Airlines doesn’t seem to be a huge fan.
As reported by The New York Times, the airline will limit passengers to just one portable charger per person. The capacity for each portable charger must be less than 100 watt-hours.
They will also be unable to leave those portable chargers in overhead bins. Instead, they must either hold their portable chargers or put them in a bag under their seats.
Lastly, passengers will not be able to use in-seat power outlets to charge their portable chargers. These changes will go into effect on April 20.
The issue revolves around the lithium batteries found in most portable chargers. These batteries can spontaneously catch fire if there is physical damage or a short-circuit.
To that point, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported 97 lithium battery incidents in 2025 that involved smoke, fire, or extreme heat in passenger and cargo aircraft. Over a third of those cases involved portable chargers.
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