Southwest Airlines Announces Passengers Must Keep Portable Chargers In Plain Sight Amid Fears Of Lithium Battery Fires

Southwest Airlines Co. LUV has announced that all passengers will be required to keep portable chargers in plain sight when in use for safety reasons.

What Happened: The airline announced the change in policy, which would go into effect on May 28, 2025, as it tries to curtail incidents involving lithium batteries catching on fire mid-flight.

"Southwest will introduce a first-in-industry Safety policy on May 28 requiring Customers to keep portable charging devices visible while in use during flight. Using portable charging devices while stored in a bag or overhead bin will no longer be permitted. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of its Customers and Employees." the airline shared in a statement.

Why It Matters: The airline is the first in the U.S. to adopt this policy amid an increasing number of incidents of lithium-ion batteries catching fire. Earlier this year, all passengers on an Air Busan flight in Korea on its way to Hong Kong were evacuated following an incident where a power bank caught fire in the overhead bins.

Elsewhere, the Trump administration has halted a Biden-era lawsuit against Southwest Airlines over alleged flight delays. The lawsuit alleged Southwest Airlines "illegally operated" multiple chronically delayed flights and "disrupted" passengers’ travel.

U.S. Airlines are facing a tough period as data suggests there has been a decline in arrivals at several of the U.S.' top airports, including JFK and LAX. Aviation woes in the U.S. continue as the FAA is also reportedly considering reducing the number of flights operating out of Newark, citing equipment failures and staff shortages.