Jet2 Power Bank Rules 2026: Why Your Portable Charger Is Banned Without A Clear Wh Rating

Passengers hoping to bring their “smart bags”, which have chargers in them, might be disappointed: those “with non-removable batteries above 2.7Wh are not permitted onboard,” sites like Ryanair advise.

That’s because they contain lithium batteries, which power banks also have.

These can sometimes short-circuit and are generally not permitted in the hold as they can catch fire.

And on their site, Jet2 said that they ban “lithium-ion batteries, lithium metal batteries and power banks that don’t clearly state” an important rating.

Those that don’t include the “watt-hour rating or lithium metal content, or where the watt-hour rating cannot easily be otherwise ascertained, are forbidden”.

A watt-hour rating is usually shortened to Wh. Power banks should have a rating “not exceeding 160Wh, providing they are individually protected against short circuit”, Jet2 said.

This doesn’t need to be on the power bank explicitly, as you can work it out from the milliampere-hour (mAh), ampere-hour (Ah), and/or nominal voltage (V).

Once you find these, the UK Civil Aviation Authority said: “You can arrive at the number of watt-hours your battery provides if you know the battery’s nominal voltage (V) and capacity in ampere-hours (Ah) using this calculation ― Ah x V = Wh.

“If only the milliampere hours (mAh) are marked on the battery, then divide that number by 1000 to get ampere-hours (Ah). For example, 4400 mAh / 1000 = 4.4 Ah.”

If none of these is available, though, your power bank might not pass muster.

Those are only some of the rules the airline enforces.

• No more than two power banks per passenger,
• Power banks should not exceed 160Wh,
• Power banks can’t be charged whilst onboard the aircraft,
• Power banks can’t be used on-flight,
• Power banks have to be carried on-board in hand luggage and placed under your seat,
• Power banks must not be used to charge or power any portable electronic devices during taxi, take off, and landing.

Jet2 is not the only airline to have some or all of these rules, so check with your airline before flying.