Southwest's new portable charger policy was vindicated after just 24 hours when a flight diverted due to a smoking battery pack Pete Syme Mon, June 2, 2025 at 1:30 PM UTC ...

Southwest Airlines' new policy on lithium-ion battery chargers and devices was made based on findings flagged by its safety management system (SMS).

A Southwest passenger's "battery charger apparently overheated and began to smoke," the airline said. Quick-thinking flight attendants contained it.