Southwest Airlines Take Action Against Lithium Battery Risks: New Safety Policies Unveiled

Published on September 13, 2025

As incidents involving lithium-ion batteries proceed to airs fire risks successful aircraft, Southwest Airlines has unveiled caller measures to heighten onboard safety, starting September 25, 2025. These measures are portion of a broader world effort by airlines to trim nan risks associated pinch these batteries, which person been identified arsenic 1 of nan astir communal causes of smoke and fire onboard. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a information alert successful September 2025 pursuing aggregate reported incidents, and airlines worldwide are implementing stricter policies.

Southwest Airlines’ New Lithium Battery Policies

Southwest Airlines is stepping up to guarantee nan information of passengers by adopting caller policies concerning lithium-ion batteries. These caller rules are designed to mitigate fire risks and are expected to group a precedent for different U.S. airlines to follow.

1. Removal of Batteries from Mobility Devices

Starting September 25, 2025, passengers will beryllium required to region removable lithium batteries from powered wheelchairs and scooters earlier boarding. This precautionary measurement addresses fire risks posed by lithium batteries successful craft rider compartments. While these incidents are rare, Southwest Airlines intends to return proactive steps to guarantee information for each passengers. The argumentation will use to each passengers walking pinch mobility devices that incorporate removable lithium batteries.

2. Battery Watt-Hour Limit

Effective January 11, 2026, Southwest Airlines will instrumentality a size limit for lithium batteries. All batteries carried by passengers must person a watt-hour standing of 300 aliases less. This caller limit aligns pinch existing national regulations and intends to mitigate nan fire hazards posed by larger batteries. Southwest Airlines emphasizes nan value of information while acknowledging nan captious domiciled mobility devices play successful facilitating recreation for galore of its customers. The airline’s updated policies are intended to prioritize passenger safety without creating unnecessary barriers to travel.

FAA’s Stance connected Lithium Battery Risks

The FAA has played a captious domiciled successful addressing nan increasing concerns complete lithium battery safety. In early September 2025, nan FAA issued a information alert, urging airlines to adopt broad strategies to negociate nan fire risks associated pinch lithium batteries. The FAA highlighted that location person been 50 superior incidents involving lithium-ion batteries successful 2025 alone, including cases of smoke, fire, and utmost heat. Some of these incidents person moreover led to flight diversions and injuries.

In its alert, nan FAA recommended respective risk mitigation strategies for airlines, including clear messaging to passengers astir nan fire risks associated pinch lithium batteries, arsenic good arsenic updated firefighting procedures and enhanced training for hose staff. These steps are being urged to reside nan increasing safety concerns astir nan usage of lithium batteries connected commercialized flights.

Increasing Reports of Lithium Battery Incidents

The FAA’s informing comes successful consequence to a important summation successful battery-related incidents. The hose manufacture has seen an uptick successful superior safety concerns related to lithium batteries, peculiarly pinch portable physics devices for illustration power banks, e-cigarettes, and different battery-powered gadgets. While incidents stay rare, nan FAA stresses nan value of being prepared for speedy action successful nan arena of a fire. This underscores nan value of proactive measures by airlines to heighten onboard safety.

Global Airline Responses to Lithium Battery Risks

In consequence to nan FAA’s alert and a increasing number of safety incidents, respective world airlines person besides begun implementing aliases are readying to instrumentality stricter measures regarding nan carrier of lithium-ion batteries. The pursuing airlines are taking action to guarantee safety successful nan cabin:

Emirates Airlines

• Policy Change: Starting October 1, 2025, Emirates will prohibit passengers from utilizing power banks during flights. Passengers will still beryllium allowed to transportation power banks successful manus luggage, but their usage for charging devices aliases recharging nan power banks themselves will beryllium strictly forbidden. This measurement is designed to trim nan consequence of lithium-ion artillery fires onboard and aligns pinch increasing safety concerns successful nan aviation industry.

Singapore Airlines

• Policy Change: Began April 1, 2025, Singapore Airlines will prohibition passengers from utilizing power banks onboard flights. While power banks tin still beryllium carried successful carry-on luggage, their usage for charging devices will nary longer beryllium permitted. This move follows akin policies implemented by different airlines to reside nan consequence of battery-related incidents onboard.

South Korean Airlines

• Policy Change: After a occurrence connected Air Busan Flight 391 successful January 2025, South Korean airlines person taken steps to mitigate nan risks posed by lithium batteries. New policies prohibit nan retention of portable battery banks and e-cigarettes successful overhead compartments and besides prohibition charging specified devices via in-seat USB ports. This argumentation is aimed astatine reducing nan consequence of onboard fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.

Hong Kong Airlines

• Policy Change: Following a occurrence connected a Hong Kong Airlines formation successful March 2025, caller regulations person been introduced that prohibit nan retention of power banks successful overhead compartments. Passengers are required to shop power banks nether seats aliases successful spot pockets instead, effective April 7, 2025.

Taiwan’s EVA Air

• Policy Change: Effective March 1, 2025, EVA Air has implemented a prohibition connected nan usage and charging of power banks and spare lithium batteries during flights. Passengers are encouraged to usage onboard power outlets alternatively of relying connected individual battery-powered devices.

AirAsia

• Policy Change: AirAsia has announced that, started April 1, 2025, power banks will not beryllium allowed to beryllium utilized aliases charged during flights. Additionally, power banks must beryllium stored successful seat pockets aliases nether nan spot and not successful overhead compartments, pursuing world safety standards.

Traveling pinch Lithium Batteries: Safety Guidelines

To guarantee safety erstwhile walking pinch lithium batteries, passengers are advised to:

• Carry-on Only: Transport lithium batteries successful carry-on baggage only.
• Watt-Hour Limits: Ensure that batteries do not transcend nan watt-hour limits group by nan airline.
• Avoid Charging During Flights: Do not complaint devices pinch lithium batteries while stored successful bags aliases overhead bins.
• Immediate Reporting: Notify nan compartment unit if a lithium battery originates to overheat aliases emit smoke, to guarantee speedy action tin beryllium taken.

These safety guidelines are basal for preventing onboard incidents and ensuring nan safety of each passengers. Airlines proceed to prioritize safety by implementing these proactive measures successful consequence to nan expanding risks posed by lithium-ion batteries.