IATA updates passenger baggage rules for batteries and personal items
The International Air Transport Association has updated its dangerous goods regulations for air travelers, maintaining restrictions on a range of items while allowing some personal belongings under specific conditions, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The 67th edition of IATA’s Dangerous Goods Regulations, effective from January 1, 2026, states that dangerous goods remain prohibited in checked and carry-on baggage unless they are expressly listed as permitted. The rules cover a wide range of items carried by passengers and crew, from alcoholic beverages and aerosols to medical equipment, batteries, and electronic devices.
Among the items still allowed under specified limits are alcoholic beverages in retail packaging containing more than 24% but not more than 70% alcohol by volume, with a maximum of 5 liters per person, as well as certain medicinal and toiletry articles, including aerosols, within prescribed quantity caps.
A notable part of the updated guidance concerns batteries, especially portable backup chargers widely used by travelers. Under the regulations, power banks are treated not as regular accessories but as spare batteries. That means they must be carried in cabin baggage only and cannot be packed in checked luggage.
IATA says spare or loose batteries for portable electronic devices must be individually protected against short circuit. For lithium-ion batteries, including most standard power banks, the watt-hour rating must not exceed 100 Wh. The rules also set a general limit of 20 spare batteries per passenger, though airlines may approve more.
Larger spare lithium batteries with a rating above 100 Wh but not above 160 Wh are subject to tighter limits. They are allowed only with airline approval, only in carry-on baggage, and only up to two per passenger.
The regulations distinguish these spare batteries from electronic devices with batteries already installed. Phones, tablets, laptops, cameras, and some medical devices may be transported under separate conditions, but any such device placed in checked baggage must be completely switched off and protected from accidental activation or damage.
The document also lists items that remain fully prohibited, including disabling devices such as pepper spray and electroshock weapons such as Tasers. It adds that airline and state-level rules may impose additional restrictions beyond the general IATA framework.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) launched Travel Smart with Lithium Batteries, a global campaign designed to provide travelers with simple guidance on reducing safety risks linked to improperly carried devices.
