Travelling with lithium batteries and lithium battery-operated devices

Yes. We treat battery packs and power banks as batteries. You can include them in your 20 loose battery limit, if they meet our requirements.

You must pack your power banks, battery packs and loose batteries in your carry-on bags. 

If your charger has to be plugged into a power socket to recharge your device, it does not contain a battery.

If you can unplug your charger and use it to charge your phone or device anywhere, then it's a power bank. It will contain a battery. We treat it as one of the 20 batteries you can bring onboard, as long as it is rated under 160Wh.

We do not allow any lithium battery-powered vehicles on our aircraft. We don't accept them as checked-in items, carry-on items or cargo.

This includes any lithium battery-powered personal vehicle, even if it's designed as a toy.

The only exception is wheelchairs, which have their own safety requirements.

Watt hours are a measure of a rechargeable lithium battery's power capacity.

For example, a 50 Wh battery can deliver one watt of power over 50 hours, or 5W of power for 10 hours.

Higher capacity means more risk. That's why we limit the number of devices and batteries you can carry.

Batteries are also measured in Amp hours (Ah), or milliamp hours (mAh).

You can convert between the two ratings if you know the voltage of your battery.

• Watt hours = Voltage x Amp hours
• Watt hours = Voltage x milliamp hours ÷ 1000

The easiest way to check is to search the internet for your device and its watt hours.

Most personal electronic devices use batteries under 100Wh. But please check before you pack.

• Mobile phones and eReaders are usually around 5-12Wh.
• Tablets are usually around 25-50Wh.
• Large laptop batteries can be close to 100Wh.

You can pack up to 15 portable electronic devices. This includes the battery in each device.

You can also carry 20 spare batteries.

Up to two of your spare batteries can be between 100-160Wh, or 2-8g of lithium.

You cannot bring batteries rated higher than 160Wh or 8g of lithium.

You must pack your spare batteries in your carry-on bags. They are not allowed in your checked-in baggage.

All batteries count toward your 20 battery limit. That includes dry cell alkaline and nickel-based batteries.

• You can carry up to two lithium batteries rated 100-160Wh or 2-8g of lithium content.
• You can bring up to two non-spillable batteries in your carry-on bags. These include gel cell, sealed lead acid and valve-regulated lead acid batteries. They must be 12V or 100Wh or under.
• You cannot fly with wet-cell spillable batteries, such as car batteries.

We recommend packing personal electronic devices in your carry-on bags.

If this isn't possible, you must:

• Power down the devices completely. They cannot be left in "Sleep" or "Standby" mode.
• Ensure they cannot be accidentally turned on.
• Pack them in a bag that does not contain anything flammable, such as perfume or aerosols.
• Protect them from being crushed or punctured.

Your checked-in electronics count toward your 15 device limit.

• Loose non-rechargeable lithium batteries must contain less than 8g of lithium.
• Loose rechargeable lithium batteries must be rated under 160 Watt hours (Wh).
• You can carry a total of 20 batteries. Up to two of them can be rated 100-160Wh, or 2-8g lithium content.
• You must carry any loose batteries in your carry-on bag. They are not allowed in your checked-in baggage.
• Where possible, keep your batteries in their original packaging.
• Protect your batteries from being crushed or punctured.
• Prevent the battery contacts from touching anything metal. This could include coins, keys, jewellery, tools or zippers. You could pack them in individual plastic bags, or tape the terminals.

Rechargeable lithium batteries

We measure the power of rechargeable lithium batteries in Watt hours (Wh)

• Mobile phones and eReaders are usually around 5-12Wh.
• Tablets are usually around 25-50Wh.
• Large laptop batteries can be close to 100Wh.

Your battery should show its power rating on its case. If the battery is built into the device, check the manufacturer's website.

If your battery is rated in Amp hours (Ah) or milliamp hours (mAh), it's easy to convert. All you need is your battery's voltage. It's usually shown on the battery, in your user manual or on the manufacturer's website.

• Watt hours = Voltage x Amp hours
• Watt hours = Voltage x milliamp hours ÷ 1000

Non-rechargeable lithium metal batteries

We measure these batteries by the amount of lithium they contain, measured in grams.

The lithium content should be shown on your battery's case. You can also check the manufacturer's website or your user manual.

Most everyday lithium metal batteries look like silver metal coins. They hold less than 2g of lithium.