Starting Sunday, 06 July 2025, each passenger will be permitted to carry two power banks maximum which must not have a capacity exceeding 100Wh.
The Arrival
In a recent announcement by Island Aviation, the operator of Maldivian, the company has announced that inflight use of power banks will be banned on all Maldivian flights, including domestic and international routes, effective 06 July 2025.
Madivian is, however, not the first airline to ban the use of power banks in flight, as CNN reported that several airlines in Asia have started tightening rules on carrying lithium batteries on planes following a series of overheating and fire incidents on board. Citing a report from South Korea's Transport Ministry, CNN reported that a portable power bank with a lithium battery has been found to be a possible source of a fire that engulfed an Air Busan plane in January while waiting for takeoff.
Following this incident, airlines such as Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air Asia, major Taiwanese airlines as well as Hong Kong's aviation have changed their regulations when it comes to carrying power banks in flights.
And now, the Maldives is also taking the necessary caution, citing safety concerns surrouding carrying power banks onboard flights. With these changes, Madivian states that th company is moving to enhance passanger, crew, and aircraft safety moving forward.
Starting Sunday, 06 July 2025, each passenger will be permitted to carry two power banks maximum which must not have a capacity exceeding 100Wh. In addition to this, the company also noted that the power banks cannot be stored in overhead bins or checked luggage, and that it must be kept on the passenger, the seat pocket or under the seat.
