Airline Policies On Electric Bikes: What You Need To Know

Electric bikes are allowed on some airlines, but the rules are complicated. Many airlines do not allow electric bikes at all due to the risk of lithium-ion battery fires. However, some airlines will allow you to bring an electric bike if the battery is removed and carried as hand luggage. It's important to check the rules of the airline you're flying with, as well as any connecting flights or partner airlines, as these may have different regulations.

Some airlines allow electric bikes without batteries

Electric bikes are allowed on some airlines, but only if the battery is removed. This is because lithium-ion batteries, which power e-bikes, are a growing safety concern for airlines due to the risk of fires. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recorded 60 incidents of lithium battery fires aboard commercial aircraft in the first nine months of 2023.

Alaska Airlines allows you to bring an electric bike, provided the battery is removed from the bike and carried as hand luggage. Delta also allows you to carry a battery of up to 160Wh in your hand luggage. However, it also stipulates it will carry “non-motorised bicycles” on its sports equipment pages. This means you may be able to carry your battery on board separately from your e-bike, but you should confirm this beforehand.

Air France allows electric bikes with the battery removed, but Air China, China Airways, Garuda, JAL, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airlines do not mention electric bikes on their websites, so you should check with them directly.

It is important to note that the rules can be complicated and may differ for connecting flights and partner airlines. For example, Southwest says it will carry "non-motorised bicycles", but it is unclear if this includes e-bikes without batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries are a safety concern for airlines

Electric bikes are allowed on some airlines, but the rules are complicated. For example, Delta allows batteries of up to 160Wh in hand luggage, but also states it will carry "non-motorised bicycles". Alaska Airlines allows electric bikes, but only if the battery is removed and carried as hand luggage.

Lithium-ion batteries, which power e-bikes, are a growing safety concern for airlines due to the risk of fires. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recorded 60 incidents of lithium battery fires aboard commercial aircraft in the first nine months of 2023. Lithium-ion batteries are commonly found in many rechargeable, portable devices like laptops, tablets, and cell phones. In rare cases, if lithium-ion batteries are damaged, malfunctioning, overheating, modified, counterfeit, or otherwise substandard, they may enter thermal runaway, an uncontrollable, self-heating state that can lead to smoke, fire, toxic off-gassing, or explosion. Thermal runaway incidents, while uncommon, can be especially dangerous at 35,000 feet. Aviation authorities have safety rules and regulations around lithium-ion batteries to reduce fire risk. These recommendations include always keeping devices with lithium-ion batteries in carry-on luggage—never in checked luggage—to ensure easy access in the event of a thermal runaway incident.

Airlines with differing rules on electric bikes

Airlines have differing rules on whether electric bikes are allowed on their aircraft. Many airlines do not allow electric bikes at all due to the lithium-ion battery risk, but some offer options if you remove the battery. For example, Alaska Airlines allows you to bring an electric bike, provided the battery is removed from the bike and carried as hand luggage. Delta also allows you to carry a battery of up to 160Wh in your hand luggage. However, it also stipulates it will carry “non-motorised bicycles” on its sports equipment pages.

Air France allows electric bikes with the battery removed, but Air China, China Airways, Garuda, JAL, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airlines do not mention electric bikes on their websites, so you will need to check with them directly.

Some airlines, such as Alitalia, British Airways, Easyjet, KLM, Lufthansa, Norwegian Airlines, Ryanair, SAS, Swiss Air, TUIfly, and Vueling, do not permit electric bikes. Cathay Pacific, Malaysian Airlines, and Philippine Airlines specifically say no electric bikes. Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar do not mention electric bikes, so you will need to check with them directly.

It is important to note that the rules can be complicated and may differ between airlines, especially if your flight includes transfers, partner airlines, and codeshares. Therefore, it is always best to check directly with the airline you are travelling with to confirm their specific policies on electric bikes.

Air France allows electric bikes with the battery removed

Electric bikes are allowed on some airlines, but the rules are complicated. Air France allows electric bikes with the battery removed. However, other airlines such as Alitalia, British Airways, Easyjet, KLM, Lufthansa, Norwegian Airlines, Ryanair, SAS, Swiss Air, TUIfly, and Vueling do not permit electric bikes. Cathay Pacific, Malaysian Airlines, and Philippine Airlines specifically say no electric bikes. Air China, China Airways, Garuda, JAL, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airlines do not mention electric bikes on their websites, so it is best to check directly with the airline. Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar also do not mention electric bikes on their websites, so it is best to check with them directly. Jetstar, Air New Zealand, and Qantas do not mention electric bikes on their websites, so it is best to check with them as well.

It is important to note that lithium-ion batteries, which power e-bikes, are a growing safety concern for airlines due to the risk of fires. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recorded 60 incidents of lithium battery fires aboard commercial aircraft in just the first nine months of 2023. As a result, no airline is able to carry the battery on a passenger service by law, so the ability to take an electric bike is without the battery only.

Some airlines take a more relaxed approach, such as Delta, which states you can carry a battery of up to 160Wh in your hand luggage. However, it also stipulates that it will carry "non-motorised bicycles" on its sports equipment pages. This means you may be able to carry your battery on board separately from your e-bike, but it is important to confirm beforehand. Alaska Airlines allows e-bikes as long as the battery is removed and carried as hand luggage. However, connecting flights and partner airlines may have differing rules, which could complicate your travel plans.

It is always best to check with the airline directly to confirm their specific policies regarding electric bikes.

Delta allows batteries of up to 160Wh in hand luggage

Electric bikes are allowed on some airlines, but the rules are complicated. For example, Delta allows batteries of up to 160Wh in hand luggage. However, it also stipulates that it will carry "non-motorised bicycles" on its sports equipment pages. This means you may be able to carry your battery on board separately from your e-bike, but it's best to confirm this beforehand.

It's important to note that lithium-ion batteries, which power e-bikes, are a growing safety concern for airlines due to the risk of fires. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recorded 60 incidents of lithium battery fires aboard commercial aircraft in just the first nine months of 2023. As a result, many airlines do not allow electric bikes at all, or they require the battery to be removed and carried as hand luggage.

Some other airlines that allow e-bikes with the battery removed include Air France, Alaska Airlines, and Air China. However, connecting flights and partner airlines may have differing rules, which could complicate your travel plans. It's always best to check directly with the airline before your trip to avoid any issues.

Additionally, the FAA sets clear guidelines: you cannot carry a lithium-ion battery exceeding 100Wh without pre-authorization. With pre-authorization, the limit is 160Wh. Most e-bike batteries significantly exceed these limits, so flying with them may not be an option.

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