The General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has enacted a new decision that directly concerns flight safety. Within the scope of the directive published by the institution, passengers are now prohibited from charging portable batteries (power banks) inside the aircraft.

This regulation was implemented in line with updates to international standards. The change in question is based on new technical instructions adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council on 27 March 2026.

New aviation rules in Türkiye

Updates to the document known as Doc 9284, published under the title “Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air”, have reshaped the rules regarding lithium batteries and portable electronic devices. With the Flight Operations Directive numbered UOD-2026-01, DGCA obliged all aviation stakeholders operating in Türkiye to comply with these rules.

Directive; It covers a wide range of areas, from commercial air transportation companies to general aviation companies, from ground handling companies to flight crews. The new regulation is considered as a part of the measures taken against the risks of fire and overheating, especially those caused by lithium batteries.

Restrictions for passengers

With the regulation, new limits were introduced for the use of power banks during flights. Charging power banks on board is now completely prohibited.

In addition, the number of portable batteries that passengers can carry with them is also limited. According to the new rule, a passenger can carry a maximum of two power banks.

DGCA specifically emphasized that it is not recommended to use power banks to charge portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, game consoles, e-books and MP3 players during the flight. Although this statement is not technically completely prohibited, it is a strong warning in terms of security.

The published directive also included a separate evaluation for flight crews. Portable batteries carried within the scope of operational requirements are excluded from these restrictions.

The same rules continue to apply for power banks carried by team members for personal use. Following this update by ICAO, many countries have implemented or continue to implement similar practices.

What do you think about these new restrictions aimed at improving flight safety?