Lufthansa Group bans external battery use on flights from 15 January 2026

If you are planning to fly away on holiday, take note. Since 15 January 2026, using an external battery on a flight operated by a Lufthansa Group airline has been prohibited - and the rule applies to more than just one carrier. Make sure your phone is fully charged before boarding. Air France has the same ban in place.

Frequent travellers know how indispensable an external battery can be. Whether you need to get through a long-haul flight - or simply own a smartphone with particularly poor battery life - this accessory is the essential item to remember in your rucksack or belt bag.

However, Lufthansa Group has changed its policy. If you are travelling with Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, Edelweiss Air or Brussels Airlines, you can no longer rely on your external battery, as its use on board is now forbidden.

It is hard to know precisely how these 6 European airlines intend to regulate the remaining alternatives. One workaround, for example, is to charge a phone by connecting it to a laptop with a cable.

What has changed:

From now on, an external battery cannot be used to charge a device. Previously, it could be used provided it was placed on the seat tray table and kept under observation. Within Lufthansa Group, charging the external battery itself on the aircraft has already been banned since May 2025. In other words, passengers were already unable to plug it into the aircraft's power socket.

External batteries on planes: stricter rules

Several external-battery-related incidents last year prompted airlines to revise their policies. In January 2025, an Airbus A321 caught fire on the ground in South Korea after an external battery suffered thermal runaway. Airlines are therefore seeking to limit the risk of overheating on board.

That does not mean you can put your external battery in a suitcase checked into the hold. This has been prohibited for several years, simply because nobody would be able to intervene if it overheated. You may therefore take your external battery into the cabin, but Lufthansa Group's new rules prevent you from leaving it in the rucksack stored in the overhead locker above your seat.

Your external battery must now stay on your person, so that you can respond should it unexpectedly begin to heat up. You can carry it with you, but you are not allowed to use or charge it. Safety comes first.

On board a Lufthansa Group airline flight, you may carry two batteries with an authorised maximum capacity of 100 Wh. For any capacity between 100 and 160 Wh, you will need to show written authorisation. Anything above that is simply forbidden. It could hardly be clearer.

Air France already bans external battery use in flight

This tightening of the rules should not come as a surprise to regular Air France passengers. The French airline already prohibits the use of external batteries during flights.

China imposes further external battery requirements

In China, the rules are considerably stricter. For several years, an ageing external battery with a worn label that makes its capacity difficult to read has been enough to prevent you from boarding your flight.

At least the position is clear. Since summer 2023, CCC (China Compulsory Certification) certification has been mandatory for external batteries. If yours does not have it, it will not be accepted either. It is therefore vital to check that this logo is clearly displayed on your external battery if you are planning a trip to China soon.