Qatar Airways Power Bank Rules 2026: Two Banks, 100Wh, June Update

Can you bring a power bank on Qatar Airways? Two, at 100Wh, and the 160Wh door closed in June

Qatar Airways rewrote its power bank section in June 2026, and the change that matters is the capacity ceiling. There used to be an approval route for banks between 100 and 160Wh. The page now says those banks are “no longer allowed in passenger baggage”, six months before IATA makes that the rule for everyone.

How this page was built. VoyageHacks read Qatar Airways’ restricted-items page on 16 September 2026 and quotes it directly below, alongside ICAO’s March 2026 announcement and IATA’s 31 March 2026 operator guidance. All 38 carriers are compared in power bank rules by airline.

Qatar Airways’ power bank rules in one table

What Qatar Airways’ page says, word for word

Read on 16 September 2026:

• “Power Banks: Additional restrictions. Hand baggage. Only two (2) power banks are allowed per passenger.”
• “Watt-hour rating of each power bank must not exceed 100.”
• “Power banks exceeding 100 Watt-hours are no longer allowed in passenger baggage.”
• “Charging of power banks is prohibited at all phases of flight.”
• “During non-critical phases, power banks may be used to recharge personal electronic devices, only if they remain in the passenger’s direct supervision and are not stowed in carry-on baggage or in the overhead bin while charging.”
• “If the passenger is having two power banks, which are not more than 100 watt-hours each, then their allowance of spare batteries would be 18 batteries, and NOT 20 spare batteries.”
• “Power banks removed from Smart luggage and Rideable suitcases need not be taken into account, when considering the number of power banks allowed per passenger. This is applicable when the removed power banks are not exceeding 100 watt-hours each.”

Is your power bank under 100Wh? Qatar’s own method

Qatar Airways spells out the conversion: “multiply rated capacity [Ah] by the nominal voltage [V]. If the Ah is given in milli-Amps [mAh], divide the number by 1000 to get the Ah”. At a power bank’s nominal 3.7 volts that is Wh = mAh x 3.7 / 1,000.

Before June 2026 a 30,000mAh bank could fly on Qatar Airways with approval. It cannot now, and from 1 January 2027 it cannot fly on any airline.

Using a power bank on a Qatar Airways flight: the supervision rule

Qatar Airways sits between the airlines that ban use outright and the ones that allow it freely. Its rule has three conditions, all in one sentence:

1. Non-critical phases only. Not during taxi, take-off or landing.
2. Direct supervision. The bank is on your lap, on the tray, or in the seat pocket, where you can see it.
3. Not stowed while charging. Not zipped into a bag under the seat, and not in the overhead bin.

And one absolute: the bank itself is never charged on board, from the USB port, the AC outlet or another bank.

On a Doha connection onto Emirates or Etihad, note that both ban any use of a power bank in flight, and Emirates allows only one bank.

Recalled power banks

Qatar Airways’ page does not list recalled models, but the ICAO Technical Instructions and Qatar’s civil aviation rules bar damaged or recalled lithium batteries from passenger aircraft. Check the model number on the case against these CPSC recalls before you pack:

The A1689 is the Anker Zolo 20,000mAh 30W USB-C model, banned by name on Air Canada’s page. The three banks in the grid above are A1259, A1383 and A1340, none of which is recalled as of 16 September 2026.

How Qatar Airways compares with Emirates, Etihad and Turkish Airlines

Qatar Airways is the only one of the three Gulf carriers that still lets you use the bank at all in the air.

What changes on 1 January 2027

Nothing on Qatar Airways, which moved early. IATA’s operator guidance of 31 March 2026 says the 100 to 160Wh approval tier for power banks “will not be carried into the 68th edition” of the Dangerous Goods Regulations, in force from 1 January 2027, making 100Wh the ceiling everywhere. Qatar Airways’ page has said “no longer allowed” for anything over 100Wh since June 2026.

Before you fly Qatar Airways: the 60-second check

1. Two banks, 100Wh each. A 30,000mAh unit stays home.
2. Read the Wh on the case, or mAh x 3.7 / 1,000.
3. Check the model against the recall table above.
4. Hand baggage only, and accessible: seat pocket or the bag under the seat in front, never the overhead bin.
5. Use it only in cruise, in the open, and never charge the bank itself.
6. Counting spares? Two banks leave you 18 other spare batteries.

Qatar Airways’ fares, bag allowance and Qsuite are covered in our Qatar Airways review. For a bank that passes every carrier’s rule, see best travel power banks, and for all 38 airlines side by side, power bank rules by airline.

Frequently asked questions

How many power banks can I bring on Qatar Airways?

Two. Qatar Airways’ restricted-items page states that only two power banks are allowed per passenger, in hand baggage only, and that the watt-hour rating of each must not exceed 100. Those two count against the spare-battery allowance: Qatar gives the example that a passenger with two power banks of 100Wh or less may then carry 18 spare batteries, not 20. Power banks removed from smart luggage do not count towards the two if they are 100Wh or less.

Does Qatar Airways allow power banks over 100Wh?

No. Following its 18 June 2026 update, Qatar Airways’ page states that power banks exceeding 100 watt-hours are no longer allowed in passenger baggage. There is no approval tier for power banks any more; the only exception on the page is a power bank removed from smart luggage rated 100 to 160Wh, which needs prior airline approval. A 30,000mAh bank, about 111Wh, cannot fly on Qatar Airways.

Can I use a power bank during a Qatar Airways flight?

Only in non-critical phases, and only under your direct supervision. Qatar Airways states that during non-critical phases of flight power banks may be used to recharge personal electronic devices, provided they remain in the passenger’s direct supervision and are not stowed in carry-on baggage or in the overhead bin while charging. Charging the power bank itself is prohibited at all phases of flight. Taxi, take-off and landing are the critical phases.

Can I charge my power bank on a Qatar Airways flight?

No. Qatar Airways’ page states that charging of power banks is prohibited at all phases of flight, which includes the seat’s USB port and AC outlet. Use the seat power for your phone or laptop directly, and let the bank board full and leave full. E-cigarettes, vapes and their batteries may not be recharged on board either.

How does Qatar Airways calculate watt-hours?

Qatar Airways’ page gives the method: multiply the rated capacity in amp-hours by the nominal voltage, and if the capacity is given in milliamp-hours, divide by 1,000 first to get amp-hours. For a power bank at 3.7 volts that is Wh = mAh x 3.7 / 1,000: a 10,000mAh bank is about 37Wh, 20,000mAh about 74Wh, and 27,000mAh about 100Wh, which is the ceiling.

Can a power bank go in checked baggage on Qatar Airways?

No. Qatar Airways allows power banks in hand baggage only, and spare batteries generally are allowed in hand baggage only. A power bank must also stay accessible on board rather than in overhead stowage or side storage lockers, so that crew can respond quickly if it overheats. If your cabin bag is tagged at the gate, take the bank out and keep it with you.

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