Virgin Australia Considers Banning Powerbanks Onboard Flights
An onboard fire linked to a power bank prompts immediate safety measures and a broader policy review by Virgin Australia.
Virgin Australia is currently reviewing its policy on lithium batteries, most notably the use and carriage of power banks, following an onboard fire on one of its flights. On Monday, Virgin Australia flight VA1528 from Sydney landed safely in Hobart after a fire broke out in an overhead locker. The likely cause was reported to be a portable power bank in a passenger’s bag.
“A fire was reported in an overhead locker during descent and was extinguished by Virgin Australia crew prior to landing…firefighters from Airservices Australia met the aircraft on arrival and removed a bag from the overhead locker,” a spokesperson for Virgin Australia confirmed.
While all passengers and crew were was safe in this case, Virgin Australia is now investigating the incident, along with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). The airline says that any relevant findings “may inform permanent changes to our battery policy”.
These changes could be implemented sooner rather than later, with a Virgin Australia cabin crew member telling Flight Hacks that new rules have been put in place as of 22 July 2025. The changes are not exactly regulations, but rather strong safety suggestions whereby passengers should keep power banks within sight and easily accessible at all times. It also encourages passengers not to charge devices with power banks while onboard. While no policy is has been officially released, on a recent flight, we noticed that onboard safety announcements were made advising the changes.
Like their Australian counterparts Qantas and Jetstar, Virgin Australia currently allows passengers to carry power banks onboard as hand luggage. This aligns with the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) regulations, which permit power banks in the cabin, but not within checked luggage.
Despite the regulations, many airlines have taken it upon themselves to restrict or outright ban the use and charging of lithium-ion power banks onboard. AirAsia, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, EVA Air, Hong Kong Airlines, Scoot, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways are among the airlines to prohibit the in-flight use of power banks.
While power banks are great to travel with, you have to remember that most aircraft these days have charging ports. Virgin’s new 737 MAX 8, as well as older retrofitted jets, have USB-A and USB-C chaging, as do Jetstar’s A320/1neo, QantasLink’s A220s and future A321XLR aircraft.
