Airline crackdown means you won't be able to pack this popular travel item anymore
Airlines have launched a crackdown on a common item packed in luggage because it may catch fire on board.
While rules have been getting increasingly tighter on power banks, more restrictions have now been introduced on Bluetooth headphones and AirPods.
Three Asian airlines have announced the move, meaning more rules could be on the way from other airlines.
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While rules have been getting increasingly tighter on power banks, more restrictions have been announced on bluetooth headphones and AirPods. Getty
Taiwanese airlines EVA Air, UNI Air, and Tigerair no longer allow Bluetooth earbuds, including Apple AirPods, to be placed in checked luggage, The Mirror reports.
The headphones, which come in a charging case containing a lithium battery, must be kept in hand luggage.
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Airlines already don't allow portable batteries, such as ones used to charge phones, in check-in bags.
Many are also now starting to crack down on their use on the plane too, such as for charging a phone or recharging the battery using an at-seat connection.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority in Australia says the average passenger now flies with at least four lithium battery devices.
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The Civil Aviation Safety Authority in Australia sayshe average passenger now flies with at least four lithium battery devices. Getty
However it does not specifically flag Bluetooth headphones.
"Batteries and power banks can short circuit, overheat and catch fire during flight. A lithium-ion battery fire can be very difficult to extinguish," it says.
"Always pack spare batteries and power banks in your carry-on baggage."
New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority also say such wireless earbuds and AirPods should not be put in checked suitcases "under any circumstances."
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Can I bring a power bank on a plane?
You can bring a typical personal power bank, up to 100 watt hours.
However, multiple airlines and aviation authorities have now introduced new rules regarding them.
That's because a fire erupted on a plane caused by one of the portable lithium batteries.
Korean airline Air Busan's plane was wrecked on January 28, 2025 when it caught fire on the runway. Nobody was hurt.
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Charing your phone at your seat is allowed- but airlines are cracking down on power banks. Getty
Travellers were even forced to evacuated the Qantas business lounge at Melbourne after a power bank in a man's hand luggage caught fire in his pocket, The Age reported.
Some destinations don't allow them to be used either.
More than 500 in-flight lithium battery incidents involving smoke, fire, or extreme heat have been recorded by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the past two decades.
Lithium-ion batteries, which are used in power banks, are filled with materials which are highly reactive and highly flammable, according to Sonya Brown, senior lecturer in aerospace design at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
"Lithium batteries could act as an ignition source themselves, or as a source of fuel for a fire initiated elsewhere. The potential risk as an ignition source is increased when lithium batteries are damaged, swollen, include manufacturing defects, are over-charged or over-heated," she told CNN.
