Attention: Airline bans use of power banks, affecting many flights from Budapest Airport

Passengers flying with the Lufthansa Group from 15 January will face stricter rules regarding portable power banks, as the airline group has officially banned their use during flights for safety reasons.

Pay attention if you plan on flying from Budapest Airport with Lufthansa

The new regulation affects not only Lufthansa, but also Swiss International Air Lines and several other carriers within the group, including Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings. Lufthansa currently offers 43 weekly departures from Budapest Airport, to Frankfurt and Munich.

Under the updated policy, passengers are no longer allowed to use power banks to charge phones, tablets or other electronic devices while on board. Charging the power banks themselves during the flight is also strictly prohibited now. The decision follows a growing number of incidents linked to lithium-ion batteries overheating or catching fire during air travel, writes Telex.

According to the airline group, the move is intended to reduce the risk posed by portable batteries, which can become particularly dangerous under high pressure or if damaged.

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Are portable power banks that dangerous?

Recent incidents have highlighted the issue: last weekend, a power bank overheated and ignited in an overhead locker on an Asiana Airlines flight between Seoul and Taipei, while on the same day a similar device began smoking on a T’way Airlines flight in South Korea. In November, a power bank even caught fire in a passenger’s pocket at Melbourne Airport.

In addition to the usage ban, the Lufthansa Group has introduced clear limits on how power banks may be carried. Each passenger may bring a maximum of two power banks on board, and these must be transported exclusively in hand luggage.

Devices with a capacity of up to 100 watt-hours are permitted without special approval, while power banks rated between 100 and 160 Wh require prior authorisation from the airline. Larger-capacity units may be confiscated.

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Lufthansa is not the first to make this decision

Storage rules have also been tightened. Power banks must not be placed in overhead lockers; instead, they must be kept under the seat or on the passenger’s person so that cabin crew can monitor them throughout the flight. As before, transporting power banks in checked luggage remains strictly forbidden.

While several non-European airlines – including Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Thai Airways – have already banned power bank use on board, the Lufthansa Group is among the first major European airline groups to introduce such comprehensive restrictions.

Passengers departing from Budapest on Lufthansa Group flights are advised to check the specifications of their portable chargers in advance to avoid inconvenience at the airport or during boarding.

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