Electronic devices and lithium batteries | Baggage | Aena

Passengers

Check the dimensions, weight and number of items permitted by your airline before travelling. Each airline has its own restrictions.

Check that you are not carrying any prohibited or restricted items in your hand luggage. Remember that the lists shown are for guidance, they are not definitive.

You must be there at least 45 minutes before the departure of the flight. Please bear in mind traffic jams and possible building works at the airport.

Go to the check-in desks upon arrival at your terminal. Take into account queues, police processes, passing through security and the transfer to the boarding areas.

For you own wellbeing, we recommend you keep all your medication in your hand luggage and ensure it is easy to access.

Lithium batteries are part of many items in our daily lives. Your mobile phone, laptop or camera are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. These batteries can catch fire if damaged, short-circuited or overheated. Therefore, travelling with lithium batteries or personal electronic devices that are damaged, defective or recalled by the manufacturer for safety reasons is strictly forbidden.

If you wish to take an electronic device or a lithium battery on your trip, you should preferably take them with you and not in your checked baggage. You should also keep an eye on them at all times and protect them from damage or unintentional activation.

International standards establish the following general criteria for the most common devices. However, the airline will provide you with more detailed information on the specific restrictions it applies to such devices.

                                           Item Cabin (hand luggage) Hold (checked baggage)
Portable electronic devices with lithium batteries for personal use: computers, tablets, smartphones, photo or video cameras, toys and others (electric toothbrushes, etc.) Yes. Permitted subject to conditions.
Protected against damage and unintentional activation when not in use.
Maximum power per device: 100 Wh (up to 160 Wh with airline approval).		 Yes. Permitted subject to conditions.
Protected against damage and unintentional activation.
Maximum power per device: 100 Wh (up to 160 Wh with airline approval).
If the battery power is higher than 2.7 Wh, the device must be completely disconnected.
External, loose and spare lithium batteries (outside of electronic devices) Yes. Permitted subject to conditions.
Individually protected against short circuits (original packaging, protective plastic cover for each battery, etc.) and away from other batteries or flammable objects.
Maximum power per unit: 100 Wh (up to 160 Wh with airline approval, no more than 2 batteries).
Preferably watched over by the passenger.
The use of external batteries to charge devices during the flight is not permitted.		 Never allowed.
E-cigarettes and other inhalers with built-in batteries Yes. Permitted subject to conditions.
No in-flight recharging possible.
Protected from unintentional activation and away from other batteries or flammable objects.
Maximum power per device: 100 Wh (up to 160 Wh with airline approval).
Preferably watched over by the passenger.		 Never allowed.
Smart suitcases (with lithium batteries) Yes. Permitted subject to conditions.
Maximum power per unit: 100 Wh (up to 160 Wh with airline approval).		 Yes. Permitted subject to conditions.
Only if the maximum power of the battery is 2.7 Wh or if the battery is removed and carried in hand luggage in compliance with the requirements indicated for loose batteries.
Lithium battery powered mobility aids (wheelchairs) Yes. Permitted subject to conditions.
Only for people with reduced mobility. Inform the airline in advance.
The mobility aid must provide adequate protection for the battery. Otherwise, the battery, which may not exceed 300 Wh, must be removed and transported in a cabin, protected against damage in a protective cover, and with the terminals protected to prevent short circuits.
One spare battery of maximum 300 Wh or 2 batteries of 160 Wh each may be carried.		 Yes. Permitted subject to conditions.
Only for people with reduced mobility. Inform the airline in advance.
The mobility aid must provide adequate protection for the battery. Otherwise, the battery, which may not exceed 300 Wh, must be removed and transported in a cabin, protected against damage in a protective cover and with the terminals protected to prevent short circuits.
Spare batteries are not permitted.

Finally, battery-powered personal or sports transport devices (electric bicycles, electric scooters, etc.) are generally not allowed in checked baggage or in the cabin as the batteries have a capacity of more than 100 Wh.

However, remember that you should always check your case with the airline. Safety is a collective effort and as a passenger you also have a responsibility.

Here you can watch a video from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the authority responsible for ensuring flight safety in European aviation, outlining the dangers and guidelines for the correct handling of lithium batteries: https://youtu.be/pwwdH_wNEeo

You can also see below the extract relating to the transport of these devices, from instructions for the transport of dangerous goods by air, issued by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), where you can find more details on the requirements established.

ICAO instructions on the carriage of lithium batteries (pdf - 332.53 kB)
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