Power Bank Rules on Flights From Pakistan: PIA, Emirates, Qatar and Saudia

A power bank of up to 100 watt-hours (Wh) can fly with you from Pakistan, but only in your hand luggage, never in a checked bag. That is roughly a 27,000 mAh power bank. Emirates allows one, Qatar Airways and Saudia allow two, and none of them lets you charge the power bank on board.

We read the baggage pages of PIA, SereneAir, AirSial, Airblue, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Saudia on 28 September 2026. The rules below are what each airline's own page said that day. Where an airline's page says nothing, we say so, rather than guess.

Power banks go in hand luggage only, on every airline we checked

A power bank counts as a spare lithium battery, so it must travel in the cabin. PIA lists lithium batteries among items banned from checked baggage, and SereneAir says spare lithium batteries must not go in checked bags. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Saudia say the same.

The reason is fire. A lithium battery that overheats in the cabin can be seen and dealt with by the crew. In the hold, nobody would know until it was too late. Qatar Airways states it plainly: if a device's main job is to power another device, the airline treats it as a battery.

So if a check-in agent finds a power bank in your suitcase, it will be taken out. Pack it in the bag you carry on, before you reach the airport.

The limit is 100 Wh, and bigger power banks need approval or are refused

For spare lithium-ion batteries, PIA's limit is 100 Wh each in hand luggage, with a maximum of 20 spares. Emirates allows spares between 100 and 160 Wh only with approval. Qatar Airways now refuses power banks above 100 Wh completely.

PIA's page gives the 100 to 160 Wh band only for portable medical devices, such as a CPAP machine's battery. It does not say whether a large power bank in that band is accepted. If you own one, ask PIA before you fly, or leave it at home.

Airblue and AirSial did not publish battery rules on the baggage and travel pages we found on their websites. Ask the airline directly, and plan on the same 100 Wh cabin-only rule, which Pakistani and Gulf airlines share.

Turn mAh into Wh with one sum

Power banks sold in Pakistan show their size in mAh, but airlines use Wh. Multiply the mAh by the battery voltage, then divide by 1,000. At the usual 3.7 volts, a 10,000 mAh power bank is 37 Wh and a 20,000 mAh one is 74 Wh.

Qatar Airways gives the same method on its page: watt-hours equal amp-hours times the nominal voltage, and you divide mAh by 1,000 to get amp-hours. Use the battery voltage printed on the label, usually 3.6 V or 3.7 V. Do not use the 5 V USB output figure, which gives a bigger and wrong number.

1. Find the mAh and the voltage (V) printed on the back of the power bank.
2. Multiply them together. For example, 20,000 × 3.7 = 74,000.
3. Divide by 1,000. The answer, 74, is the size in Wh.
4. If the label already shows Wh, use that number instead.
5. Anything above 100 Wh needs airline approval or will be refused.

Emirates adds one more condition: the capacity must be clearly printed on the power bank. A cheap unit with a worn or missing label can be refused even if it is small. If you are buying one for a trip, the power banks sold in Pakistan mostly fall between 10,000 and 20,000 mAh.

Gulf airlines ban charging on board, and Emirates bans use too

Emirates does not let you use a power bank on board at all, and it must sit in the seat pocket or under the seat, not the overhead bin. Saudia bans both charging the power bank and charging other devices from it. Qatar Airways allows charging a phone from it, but not charging the power bank.

Qatar Airways allows use only in non-critical phases of the flight, with the power bank in your direct sight. It must not be inside a bag or in the overhead bin while it charges your phone. Its page says charging the power bank itself is banned in all phases of flight.

Many Pakistanis fly these airlines to the Gulf and for Umrah, and pilgrims leaving Karachi from October are reported to need a NADRA vaccination card. On a long Saudia leg with no power bank use allowed, charge your phone fully at the airport.

Pack power banks so they cannot short circuit

Airlines ask that spare batteries are protected against short circuits. Keep each power bank in its own pouch or its original box, tape over any exposed metal contacts, and switch it off. Put it where you can reach it during the flight.

• Do not pack a power bank next to keys, coins or loose cables.
• Keep it out of the overhead bin on Emirates and Qatar Airways.
• A swollen, dented or hot power bank should not fly at all.
• Smart bags with a built-in battery must have the battery removable, or Emirates will not carry them.

Laptops, phones and cameras with batteries inside are treated separately from spares. PIA allows up to 15 such devices per passenger, each battery up to 100 Wh. Check your flight times before you leave with a free flight tracker, so you are not stuck at the gate with a flat phone.

Common questions

Can I take a power bank on a PIA flight?

Yes, in hand luggage. PIA allows spare lithium-ion batteries up to 100 Wh each in the cabin, and bans lithium batteries in checked bags.

Is a 20,000 mAh power bank allowed on flights?

Yes. At 3.7 volts it is about 74 Wh, under the 100 Wh limit, so it can go in your hand luggage.

How many power banks can I take on Emirates?

One, of up to 100 Wh, with its capacity clearly printed. You cannot use it on board.

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

Yes, to charge your phone in non-critical phases of flight, if it stays in your sight. You cannot charge the power bank itself.

Can I put a power bank in checked luggage?

No. Every airline we checked says power banks and spare lithium batteries must go in hand luggage.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 28 September 2026. PIA's rules are from its baggage guide on piac.com.pk. SereneAir's are from its baggage policy page. Emirates' are from its dangerous goods policy page. Qatar Airways' are from its restricted items page. Saudia's are from its carry-on baggage page. Airblue's travel information and AirSial's baggage page carried no battery rules when we read them. We could not find a passenger page on power banks from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority. The mAh examples are our own sums at 3.7 volts. Airlines change these rules often, so check your airline's page before you fly.