Southwest Airlines Announces New Onboard Battery Policy. Here's What To Know.

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• Southwest Airlines will require passengers to keep portable chargers visible while in use.
• This new policy aims to reduce the risk of fire from overheating chargers.
• The policy change follows several incidents of battery fires on U.S. airlines.

Southwest Airlines is introducing a new battery policy in its cabins starting next week, which will require passengers to keep portable chargers visible when they're in use onboard.

"Using portable charging devices while stored in a bag or overhead bin will no longer be permitted," Laura Swift, a Southwest spokesperson, told USA TODAY in a statement. "Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its customers and employees."

According to the airline, the new policy is meant to reduce the risk of fire onboard.

Federal Aviation Administration statistics show that there have been at least 16 incidents involving batteries overheating or fires on U.S. airlines this year, with at least three of those involving portable battery packs.

The most recent incident involving a portable battery pack was reported on an American Airlines flight from Indianapolis to Los Angeles on April 9. According to the FAA, a passenger's portable charger began to overheat and caught fire. The device was placed in a thermal containment bag and the flight diverted to Chicago. No injuries were reported, but the aircraft sustained minor damage.

"In the rare event a lithium battery overheats or catches fire, quick access is critical," Southwest's statement said. "Keeping power banks in plain sight allows for faster intervention and helps protect everyone onboard."

While the policy doesn't officially go into effect until May 28, Southwest passengers may notifications about it in their apps sooner as the airline prepares for implementation.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.