WHAT THE AIR RULES SAY

Spare batteries
ride with you.

The camera can usually go anywhere. The spares cannot.

GOV.UK says camera equipment can usually go in hand and hold luggage. Spare lithium batteries and power banks are different: UK Civil Aviation Authority rules keep them in the cabin, protected, and within watt-hour limits.

CABIN ONLY for spares and power banks

Check a battery

A mirrorless camera, two spare batteries in small clear pouches and a lens laid out on a table beside an open cabin backpack, with an airport window behind — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Spares in the cabin
Tape or pouch the terminals
Know the Wh rating
Three habits, a calmer gate

THE SHORT ANSWER

Camera anywhere,
spares in the cabin.

The rules follow the battery, not the camera.
Loose batteries and power banks are the strict part.

SPARES

Never in the hold

CAA rules say spare lithium batteries must be carried as carry-on baggage, each protected so the terminals cannot short.

Check a battery

THE CAMERA

Hand or hold luggage

GOV.UK says you can usually take camera equipment in hand and hold luggage. Charge it first: a device that will not switch on when asked will not be allowed on.

Packing steps

POWER BANKS

Two per person

Since 27 March 2026, passengers may carry no more than two power banks, in the cabin, and must not recharge them on board.

See the limits

A QUICK BATTERY CHECK

Where does this
battery go?

Pick what you are packing to see where the UK CAA guidance puts it. The bar shows how tightly it is restricted.

Battery check

Choose an itemBattery inside the cameraSpare battery under 100 WhA power bankSpare battery 100 to 160 WhBattery over 160 Wh

Battery inside the cameraCabin is best

Devices with batteries up to 100 Wh are allowed without airline approval. The CAA says devices should be carried in the cabin; in the hold they must be fully switched off and protected from damage.

Spare battery under 100 WhCabin only

Allowed without airline approval, but only in carry-on baggage, each one protected from short circuit: original packaging, taped terminals or its own pouch.

A power bankCabin, max 2

Carry-on only, no more than two per person, never recharged on board, and they should not be used to charge other devices during the flight.

Spare battery 100 to 160 WhAirline approval

Larger batteries, such as some video camera packs, need the airline's approval. The CAA allows no more than two spares of this size per person, in the cabin.

Battery over 160 WhNot in baggage

The CAA says batteries over 160 Wh are prohibited in passenger baggage and must be sent separately as dangerous goods cargo.

Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority, What items can I travel with, and Pack right. Safe flight.

Based on UK Civil Aviation Authority passenger guidance. Airlines and airports can set stricter rules, so check with yours before you fly.

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

Watt-hours decide
where it flies.

One limit for approval,
one hard ceiling for passengers.

≤ 100 Wh

Lithium-ion battery rating

Spare lithium-ion batteries and power banks up to 100 Wh are allowed in the cabin without the airline's approval. The CAA says batteries under 100 Wh are common in phones, laptops and cameras.

NO APPROVAL NEEDED · UK CAA

160 Wh

Largest battery in passenger bags

Between 100 and 160 Wh you need airline approval. Over 160 Wh is prohibited in passenger baggage. The US FAA uses the same 100 and 160 Wh lines.

THE CEILING · UK CAA

No Wh figure on the battery? The CAA's formula is volts × amp-hours = watt-hours. For milliamp-hours, multiply volts by mAh and divide by 1,000.

FOUR PACKING STEPS

Pack the bag
the night before.

None of this needs special kit. It is about knowing which bag each battery goes in and making sure it cannot short or switch on.

Read the label
Find the Wh rating on each battery. If only volts and mAh are shown, work it out: volts × mAh ÷ 1,000.
Pouch every spare
Keep spares in original packaging, tape over the terminals or give each one its own plastic bag or pouch.
Keep spares on you
If your cabin bag is taken to the hold at the gate, the CAA says to remove the batteries and powered devices first.
Charge the camera
GOV.UK says if a device does not switch on when requested, you will not be allowed to take it onto the aircraft.

A camera bag sitting in a grey tray on an airport security conveyor, seen from the side in soft light — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Close-up of hands placing a camera battery into its own small zip pouch, with a second battery already pouched beside it — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

WHY THE CABIN

Heat you can
see and reach.

Lithium batteries can overheat in a self-sustaining reaction the FAA calls thermal runaway. The CAA says power banks and vapes in checked luggage can overheat and cause a fire.

In the cabin, crew can spot smoke and respond. The FAA says if a device overheats, smokes or catches fire on your flight, alert the crew immediately. The CAA adds that damaged, overheating or swollen batteries should never be carried on an aircraft.

Questions

Questions people ask

Can I put my camera in checked luggage?

GOV.UK says you can usually take camera equipment in hand and hold luggage. The CAA recommends carrying battery-powered devices in the cabin; if one goes in the hold it must be completely switched off, not in sleep mode, and protected from damage.

How many spare camera batteries can I take?

For spares up to 100 Wh the CAA rules set no approval requirement, but they must be in carry-on baggage and protected from short circuit. For spares between 100 and 160 Wh you need airline approval and can carry no more than two per person.

How do I work out a battery's Wh rating?

Multiply the voltage by the amp-hours. If the battery shows milliamp-hours, multiply volts by mAh and divide by 1,000. The CAA says manufacturers have been required to mark lithium-ion batteries with their Wh rating since 2009 and 2011.

Can I charge my camera from a power bank on the plane?

Under rules in force from 27 March 2026, power banks must not be recharged on board and should not be used to charge other devices during the flight. You may carry no more than two per person, in the cabin.

What if my battery looks swollen?

Do not fly with it. The CAA says batteries showing signs of damage, overheating or swelling should not be used and should never be carried on an aircraft.

Spare batteries
ride with you.