The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the government agency in charge of civil aviation policies, has reminded air travelers about the maximum allowable power bank capacity of 160 watt-hours (Wh).
This announcement came after recent onboard fires, which were suspected to have been caused by overheating lithium-ion battery power banks inside passengers’ carry-on bags.
James Conner of CAAP’s Flight Operation Department clarified that passengers may carry up to 100 Wh on their carry-ons without prior approval. However, power banks with a capacity between 100 Wh and 160 Wh will require prior approvals. While power banks exceeding 160 Wh are strictly prohibited.
This policy may cause some disputes among passengers, but it is not new. In fact, major airlines in the country have already implemented this policy of using a maximum of 160 Wh power banks for quite some time.
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To help you know your power bank’s Wh capacity, here’s how to convert from milliampere-hour (mAh) capacity to watt-hour (Wh):
How to calculate the right power bank capacity
To convert your power bank rating of mAh to Wh, you only need to use a simple calculation.
Multiply your power bank’s mAh rating by the battery’s cell voltage (typically 3.6 V for Lithium-ion batteries), then divide by 1,000.
For instance, if you own a 20,000 mAh power bank with the typical nominal voltage of 3.6 V, following the computation, it will result in 72 watt-hours (Wh), within the airline’s 100 Wh battery capacity limit.
Note: You must compute your power bank’s Wh rating before bringing it to the airport to avoid any issues or delays with the airline. However, if you need to bring a higher-rated power bank, you can ask for your airline’s permission in advance.