Overview
- Passengers using powered wheelchairs or scooters must remove any removable lithium batteries before boarding and bring them into the cabin.
- The removed batteries will not count as a carry-on bag or personal item, according to the airline.
- A new capacity cap limits batteries to 300 watt-hours, with a grace period for larger units through Jan. 11, 2026, after which batteries above the limit will no longer be accepted.
- Southwest will notify affected travelers starting in mid-September and says the update applies to less than 0.1% of customers.
- The move follows a May policy requiring portable chargers to be visible in use and comes as the FAA has recorded 55 lithium-battery heat, smoke or fire events on U.S. flights in 2025, while other major U.S. carriers maintain differing mobility-battery rules.