Ryanair and easyJet onboard-use rules checked on 29 August 2026. This comparison covers those two carriers only; do not apply it automatically to another airline.
Quick answer
Ryanair and easyJet both prohibit recharging a power bank from aircraft power, but they currently differ on using the bank to charge another device. Ryanair permits charging a personal electronic device except during taxi, take-off, landing or a crew restriction. easyJet says power banks must not be used to charge other devices during the flight.
Ryanair vs easyJet onboard-use table
| Action | Ryanair | easyJet |
|---|---|---|
| Recharge the power bank from aircraft power | No | No |
| Use the bank to charge a phone, tablet or laptop | Yes, except during taxi, take-off, landing, or crew restriction | No use to charge another device during the flight |
| Maximum quantity | Two | Two |
| Storage while carried | On person or in under-seat bag; not overhead | Cabin baggage; keep monitorable, with on-person placement recommended |
For the capacity and packing decision before boarding, see the focused Ryanair 20,000mAh check or easyJet 20,000mAh check.
Action 1: recharging the power bank itself
Plugging a power bank into an aircraft seat socket or USB port adds energy to the bank. Both airlines currently prohibit this. Ryanair says power banks must not be recharged at any time onboard or during the flight. easyJet’s latest safety notice likewise says power banks cannot be charged during the flight.
The 2026 international baseline supports that restriction. ICAO’s specifications effective 27 March 2026 limit passengers to two power banks and prohibit recharging them during flights. IATA passenger guidance also says power banks must not be recharged from an in-aircraft power supply. Charge your bank before travel, allow it to cool, and do not plug it into aircraft power.
Action 2: using the bank to charge another device
This is the action that produces different answers. The power bank is supplying energy to a phone, tablet or laptop rather than receiving energy from the aircraft.
Ryanair: current guidance allows a power bank to charge a personal electronic device except during taxi, take-off and landing, or whenever the crew instructs otherwise. Keep the bank on your person or in the under-seat bag and never in the overhead locker.
easyJet: its current Dangerous Goods page says power banks are prohibited from use on easyJet aircraft and must not be used to charge other devices. The latest travel-information notice repeats that they cannot be used to charge other devices during the flight. Carrying an allowed bank does not therefore mean you may use it onboard.
Why “allowed on the plane” is not a use rule
A carrier can allow a compliant power bank in cabin baggage while restricting how it is stored and whether it is switched into use. Capacity answers one question; onboard behaviour answers another. A search result that says only “power banks are allowed” can miss the rule that matters after boarding.
- Carriage: Is the bank permitted, at this Wh rating and quantity?
- Storage: Must it stay on your person, under the seat or out of an overhead locker?
- Recharge: May it receive power from an aircraft socket? For Ryanair and easyJet, no.
- Device charging: May it supply power to another device? The two carriers currently differ.
What to do on a connection or codeshare
Check the airline operating each aircraft, not only the company that sold the ticket. If one segment is Ryanair and another is easyJet, plan around the stricter easyJet no-use rule unless you can clearly separate the segments and follow each crew’s instructions. Another airline may publish a different storage or use policy, so this page is not a worldwide answer.
A safe onboard checklist
- Check the Wh label, quantity and every operating carrier before departure.
- Keep the bank in cabin baggage and follow the carrier’s storage location.
- Never plug the bank into aircraft power.
- On easyJet, do not use it to charge another device during the flight.
- On Ryanair, stop device charging during taxi, take-off and landing.
- Follow crew instructions even when the published page would otherwise permit use.
- Disconnect the bank and alert crew immediately if it becomes hot, swells, smokes, smells unusual or behaves erratically.
Summary
Do not recharge a power bank from aircraft power on either Ryanair or easyJet. Ryanair currently allows it to charge a personal device outside taxi, take-off and landing unless crew say otherwise; easyJet prohibits using it to charge another device during the flight. Treat those as carrier-specific rules, not a universal airline policy.
Official sources
- Ryanair: What items are permitted on board?
- easyJet: Dangerous Goods and power banks
- easyJet: Latest travel information
- ICAO: 2026 power-bank restrictions
- IATA 2026 passenger lithium-battery guidance
Source check: 29 August 2026. Crew instructions and the current operating-airline policy take priority.