Qantas and Virgin Australia Ban Energy Financial institution Utilization on Flights Following Security Incidents

Australia’s two largest airways are implementing complete bans on energy financial institution utilization aboard their plane following a collection of lithium battery fires, with Virgin Australia’s restrictions taking impact December 1 and Qantas Group airways following on December 15.

The sweeping new insurance policies have an effect on all flights operated by Virgin Australia, Qantas, QantasLink, and Jetstar, basically altering how passengers can cost their digital gadgets throughout journey.

Virgin Australia Fireplace Sparks Trade Response

The coverage modifications stem immediately from a critical incident on July 21, 2025, when Virgin Australia Flight VA1528 from Sydney to Hobart skilled a hearth in an overhead locker throughout descent, with the trigger believed to be an overheating energy financial institution in a passenger’s bag.

Passengers seen smoke emanating from an overhead compartment round 9 AM because the Boeing 737-800 started its descent. Cabin crew opened the compartment and found what seemed to be a lithium-ion energy financial institution on hearth, which they shortly extinguished utilizing onboard hearth extinguishers and passenger water bottles.

The plane landed safely at Hobart Airport, the place firefighters eliminated the affected bag from the overhead locker and one passenger acquired medical consideration for suspected smoke inhalation.

New Restrictions Take Impact in December

Below the brand new insurance policies, passengers will probably be prohibited from utilizing energy banks to cost gadgets throughout flight and can’t cost the ability banks themselves, even via in-seat energy or USB ports.

Each airways will restrict passengers to carrying a most of two energy banks per particular person, with Qantas imposing a 160 watt-hour capability restrict and Virgin Australia setting a 100 watt-hour threshold, although Virgin could approve gadgets as much as 160 watt-hours with prior permission.

Energy banks, spare batteries, and transportable digital gadgets should be saved simply accessible all through flights in seat pockets, underneath the seat in entrance, or on the passenger’s particular person, reasonably than in overhead lockers.

Trade-Large Security Evaluate

Qantas confirmed the modifications adopted a complete inner security evaluate carried out alongside Virgin Australia, the Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation (IATA), and different Oneworld carriers. The insurance policies are additionally knowledgeable by deliberate updates from the Worldwide Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), anticipated in 2026.

Virgin Australia Chief Working Officer Chris Snook defined: “Globally, extra lithium battery-powered gadgets at the moment are being carried by travellers, and whereas these things are typically protected when packed and dealt with appropriately, this transfer will minimise any potential dangers related to these gadgets”.

Rising World Concern Over Battery Incidents

The Australian airline restrictions comply with comparable incidents worldwide, together with a January 2025 hearth that destroyed an Air Busan plane in South Korea when an influence financial institution caught hearth in an overhead bin throughout boarding. The plane was consumed by flames, leaving a gutted wreck on the tarmac, although passengers escaped with solely minor accidents.

Extra incidents embrace a person in his 50s who suffered burns when a lithium battery ignited in his pocket on the Qantas enterprise lounge at Melbourne Airport, resulting in the evacuation of about 150 vacationers.

The Australian Transport Security Bureau has recorded 5 inflight fires involving energy banks on Australian or Australian-registered plane, highlighting the rising security issues surrounding these gadgets.

Technical Security Dangers

Lithium-ion batteries are inclined to “thermal runaway,” a self-accelerating course of the place warmth era inside a battery cell exceeds its means to dissipate warmth, resulting in fast and uncontrollable temperature will increase that may trigger hearth, explosions, and poisonous fuel launch.

Aviation professional Professor Dose defined that whereas battery fires are uncommon, “the results might be fairly extreme” on plane, as they’re tough to extinguish and might launch poisonous gases within the confined cabin atmosphere.

Compliance and Passenger Influence

If prospects don’t adjust to the brand new restrictions, gadgets will must be disposed of on the airport earlier than flight, or the flight ticket will must be forfeited. Energy banks should show battery specs and be manufactured by respected firms, with unlabeled, broken, leaking, recalled, or counterfeit gadgets prohibited.

Passengers can nonetheless cost gadgets immediately via accessible in-seat charging ports, however can not use energy banks as middleman charging sources. The modifications come throughout Australia’s busy summer time journey season, doubtlessly affecting hundreds of vacationers in the course of the Christmas and New 12 months interval.

The coordinated method by Australia’s main carriers displays the aviation trade’s growing deal with lithium battery security, with different worldwide airways together with Emirates, EVA Air, and Qatar Airways having already carried out comparable energy financial institution restrictions.