Beginning May 28, Southwest Airlines will require customers to keep portable charging devices visible during use.
Flyers won't be allowed to use charging devices while they are in a bag or the overhead bin because of fire risk from storing items with lithium batteries in confined spaces.
Southwest says the policy is an industry first.
"In the rare event a lithium battery overheats or catches fire, quick access is critical, and keeping power banks in plain sight allows for faster intervention and helps protect everyone onboard," the airline said.
Some customers are already seeing notification of the policy in the Southwest app.
Incidents related to lithium batteries on aircraft are rare but not unheard of. So far this year, the FAA has verified 22 incidents involving fire, smoke or extreme heat on passenger or cargo planes. Last year, the FAA verified 89 such incidents. Those numbers should not be considered thorough, the FAA noted.