Virgin battery bank fire – a rethink about banning them

The Virgin battery bank fire on VA1528 from Sydney to Hobart has forced the airline to reconsider if it will ban them completely – no cabin luggage and definitely no checked luggage.

Virgin Australia currently requires that power banks up to 100W be carried in hand luggage, not checked baggage. It has briefed check-in staff that the capacity must be clearly printed on the battery bank or not be allowed on board.

Its cabin attendants are now asked to stop passengers using battery banks while on board.

Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Thai Airways, South Korean Airlines, EVA Air, and China Airlines are among the carriers that have implemented bans on in-flight power bank use.

“Any relevant findings from this investigation may inform permanent changes to our battery policy to ensure the safety of our guests and team members,” Virgin said.

While no final decision has been made, it could be implemented without warning, forcing passengers to dump the lithium-ion battery bank at the airport.

While most 10,000mAh battery banks are low-cost (<$50), I always travel with my Anker Prime 27650mAh 250W power bank to run my laptop and phone. Dump a $180 battery bank – no bloody way. Fortunately, it is 25.2V/3.95A/99.54W – just under the current limit.

And I bet that all the iPhone owners who need a battery bank to get through the day will be screaming too.

Let’s hope Virgin comes up with a way to enable us to take battery banks onboard, albeit they may need to be placed in a fireproof container during flight.

We applaud Laser for being the first to sell ChargeCore SafeCharge Max power banks use LiFePO4 for safety.

But there are too many unsafe battery banks. Read Power bank recalls – 17 since 2020. Do you have one?

Why are battery banks unsafe?

In the USA alone in 2024, there were 89 confirmed Air incidents (smoke, fire or extreme heat) involving Lithium-ion batteries. These include battery banks, e-cigarettes/vapes, mobile phones, laptops, other electronics and medical devices.

Between January 1 and July 18, 2025, there have been 38 incidents, despite significant crackdowns by airlines and the TSA. Read Planes and power banks – FAA/TSA rules enforced (Urgent update.

We accessed the USA FAA statistics for the past decade, and there have been 476 lithium-ion-related incidents inside aircraft and 134 incidents involving cargo.

• 248 battery bank
• 135 vapes
• 95 mobile phones
• 79 electronic devices
• 76 laptops

No, the Samsung Note 7 with an in-built cigarette lighter was not included in these figures.😁

We cannot obtain global statistics, except for a vague reference to over 500 in-cabin battery bank fires in 2024, which likely includes 89 in the US.

Current fire suppression systems can’t put out a battery bank fire

They cannot stop a lithium-ion cell temperature from rising, which leads to a ‘thermal runaway’ – an unstoppable chain reaction. Fire can then spread quickly throughout the aircraft.

Is in-seat charging the answer?

Most Australian planes are not equipped with charge ports, although that is changing slowly as new fleet arrives.

Current economy class in-seat charger ports typically feature USB-A 5V/.5A/, 2.5W ports. Some have USB-C 5V/2A/10W or 5V/3A/15W. First- and business-class passengers on the most modern aircraft may have 5 to 20V, 3 to 5A, 60 to 100W USB-C PD 3.0 ports.

USB-A is fine for phones, but only USB-C can charge a notebook.

CyberShack’s view: Virgin battery bank fire – passenger safety is paramount.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t appreciate flying with lithium-ion ‘bombs’ on board. I have seen the damage even a small battery bank can do, let alone one that catches fire at 40,000 feet. They produce inordinate amounts of toxic smoke, can explode, spewing red-hot metal and chemicals.

Despite claims that Virgin was able to extinguish the fire, they just stopped superficial flames long enough to land. The risk of thermal runaway saw the plane grounded while specialist lithium-ion handling equipment (basically big, heavy bags) was bought in. The plane then needed to be decontaminated due to the presence of hazardous smoke.

Some airlines now carry these onboard.

“An inflight fire is one of the most dangerous conditions on an aircraft. These containment bags will keep a fire from spreading and causing further harm.” Alaska Airlines.

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