On April 27, 2026, the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) of Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) issued a notice proposing amendments to two instruments governing the carriage of dangerous goods by air: the List of Dangerous Goods Which Are Transported by Air and the Provisions for Dangerous Goods Carried by Passengers and Crew. Airlines, freight forwarders, shippers, and travellers carrying lithium batteries or power banks are the most directly affected groups.
According to the CAA, the revision is intended to bring Taiwan’s aviation dangerous goods framework into line with Addendum No. 1 to the 2025–2026 edition of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (Doc. 9284). That addendum, applicable from 27 March 2026, introduces updated requirements for lithium batteries — including power banks — and portable electronic devices (PEDs), intending to curb in-flight thermal events involving lithium cells.
The core of the change is how power banks are treated. Under the addendum, power banks are explicitly classified as spare lithium batteries rather than as ordinary PEDs. As a result, they must be carried in carry-on baggage only and are prohibited in checked baggage; each unit must be individually protected against short circuits (for example, kept in its retail packaging or with terminals taped), and damaged or recalled batteries must not be brought on board at all. Operators are also encouraged to prevent the use of power banks to charge devices during flight.
The size thresholds that passengers and crew should plan around remain: lithium-ion batteries up to 100 Wh may be carried, those above 100 Wh and up to 160 Wh require operator approval, and batteries exceeding 160 Wh are barred from passenger baggage; lithium-metal batteries are limited to 2 g of lithium content (8 g when contained in equipment). The 30% state-of-charge limit that already applies to lithium-ion batteries shipped alone as cargo (UN 3480) remains in force alongside these passenger rules.
For industry, the practical message is consistency with the global regime now taking effect. Once Taiwan’s amendments are finalised, carriers and ground handlers operating to and from the island will need to update their acceptance procedures, passenger briefings and signage to reflect the explicit power-bank classification, while shippers of lithium batteries as cargo should confirm classification, packaging and state-of-charge documentation against the latest edition of the Technical Instructions.
