Last Updated on May 17, 2023 by Matt
If you plan on moving to another city or country, you may be wondering how to take your ebike with you on the plane.
The issue is that not all airlines are the most welcoming when it comes to electric bikes. So, to save you time and research, I went through every airline’s website and extracted their rules and regulations regarding electric bikes.
Can you take an electric bike on a plane?
Most airlines don’t allow electric bikes on their planes. The main reason for that is the flammable lithium-ion ebike batteries. Some airlines allow lithium-ion batteries under the government’s assigned 160 Wh size limit, but the value is too low for the vast majority of ebike batteries. Some airlines might agree to take an electric bike on their plane if its batteries are left behind.
Why take your electric bike on a plane?
I only recommend taking your ebike with you on a plane if you’re moving permanently or for an extended period. If you’re thinking of taking your ebike with you on vacation, it isn’t worth the hassle.
If, by some miracle, you do get permission from the airline to bring your ebike, you’ll have to pay for the extra weight, pack the bike, and still risk damaging it during transport.
This doesn’t mean you should give up on the idea of having an electric bike for the duration of your trip. Having an electric bike with you on vacation is a great idea. You won’t have to spend money on public transport or rentals at your destination and have more control over when and where you want to go. However, rather than taking your own ebike with you, you can simply rent one in your travel destination for a few dollars.
Why don’t airlines allow electric bikes?
Electric bikes are powered by inflammable lithium-ion batteries that can overheat and explode if handled improperly. Phones with these kinds of batteries are usually allowed because of their small size and capacity.
Unfortunately, electric bike batteries go way past the government’s allowed battery capacity limit for airlines. The fact that there have been multiple instances in which lithium-ion batteries have caught fire on an airplane doesn’t help the case for electric bikes either.
Rules and regulations of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regarding electric bikes
Though the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) doesn’t have any rules directly addressing electric bikes, they have strict regulations for transporting lithium-ion batteries.
According to the TSA, it’s safe to carry a lithium-ion battery on a plane if its power capacity is 100 Watt-hours or less. These lower-powered batteries can be checked in as a part of your luggage or carry-on.
For batteries ranging between 100 – 160 Watt-hours, you’ll need the airline’s approval. Some airlines, like Qatar Airways and Delta Airlines, allow batteries between this range, while others completely prohibit these as well.
The batteries of this range aren’t allowed to be checked in as baggage. You can fly with them as carry-on only after informing the airlines so that they can take necessary precautions.
The TSA strictly prohibits carrying a lithium-ion battery with a power capacity higher than 160 watt-hours on a plane.
Regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration regarding lithium-ion batteries
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (TFAA) rules regarding lithium-ion batteries are similar to those of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Uninstalled lithium-ion batteries like power banks and cell phone battery charging cases cannot be checked into baggage.
The FAA requires you to take such batteries out when you check in for your flight and keep them with you. The same rules apply to devices with built-in lithium batteries, like your phone, laptop, tablet, smartwatch, etc.
Each passenger can carry a maximum limit of two spare lithium-ion batteries (101-160 Wh) and 2-8 grams of lithium metal batteries.
Though lithium-ion batteries undergo testing to ensure safety, they can still overheat and cause a fire when handled improperly. Flight personnel are trained to handle such fires, so you should inform them right away when your battery starts to heat up.
The FAA also requires that you properly pack the batteries in a way that their terminals don’t touch any other metal. You can cover the terminals in tape or carry the batteries in their retail packaging. Other methods include using a battery case, the battery sleeve of a camera bag, or any other snug protective pouch.
How to find out if your electric bike is allowed on an airplane?
If you want to take your electric bike with you on the plane, the first step should be to contact and ask the airline you plan to use. You can either go through their rules and regulations on their website or speak to a customer representative via call.
I also recommend you look up the rules regarding electric bike transport in your destination country in case you need to get a permit.
North American airlines rules for electric bikes
| Airline | Allows electric bikes? |
| AeroMexico | No |
| Air Canada | No |
| Alaska Airlines | No |
| American Airlines | No |
| Delta | No |
| Jet Blue | No |
| Southwest | No |
| Spirit Airlines | No |
| United Airlines | No |
| WestJet | No |
Can you bring an electric bike on a Delta flight?
Delta Airlines doesn’t allow lithium-ion batteries with a power capacity above 160 Watt-hours on board their planes. The lowest battery capacity adult ebikes have is around 230-250 watt-hours. Some electric balance bikes for children have capacities under the 160 watt-hours limit, but the airline has completely banned any kind of lithium battery-powered self-balancing personal transportation devices.
You can find this information on their page about restricted hazardous items.
The airline does allow non-motorized bicycles on the plane though. So maybe you could talk them into letting you take the ebike without its battery and then get the battery shipped later. If you want to take a children’s electric bike with you onboard and its battery capacity is under 160 watt-hours, remove the battery and carry it separately as carry-on baggage.
The ebike can go as checked baggage and you can refit the battery when you reach your destination.
Can you bring an electric bike on a Southwest flight?
On its website’s special baggage and sports equipment page, Southwest Airlines clearly prohibits self-balancing devices and high-powered lithium batteries. An electric bike can very well be considered a part of both these categories.
Can you bring an electric bike on a United Airlines flight?
United Airlines have a list of items they consider dangerous for passengers and employees. They’ve listed “Battery-assisted bicycles such as e-bikes” in their list of prohibited recreational self-propelled vehicles, hoverboards, and riding suitcases.
Can you bring an electric bike on an American Airlines flight?
American Airlines don’t allow personal transportation vehicles that are powered by lithium-ion batteries on board. This includes electric bikes, electric scooters, hoverboards, etc.
You can find this information on the airline’s restricted items page.
Can you bring an electric bike on a Jet Blue flight?
Jet Blue’s page of prohibited items doesn’t mention electric bikes specifically but does forbid self-balancing boards with lithium/lithium-ion batteries. The list also includes other rideables similar to electric bikes like electric scooters and electric skateboards.
Can you bring an electric bike on an Air Canada flight?
While Air Canada allows battery-assisted mobility and medical devices on the plane, they strictly prohibit battery-assisted bikes, electric scooters, and other battery-powered rideables.
You can find this information on their page about restricted and prohibited items.
European airlines rules for electric bikes
| Airline | Allows electric bikes? |
| Aegean Airlines | No |
| Aeroflot | No |
| Air France | No |
| Alitalia | No |
| British Airlines | No |
| EasyJet | No |
| Finnair | No |
| LOT | No |
| Lufthansa | No |
| Norwegian Air | No |
| Ryanair | No |
| SAS Group | No |
| TAP Portugal | No |
| TUI | No |
| Turkish Airlines | No |
| Wizzair | Probably no |
Can you bring an electric bike on a Ryanair flight?
Ryanair clearly prohibits lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles on board as carry-on baggage or checked-in luggage. They mention this in their general terms and conditions of carriage and on their prohibited items page.
Can you bring an electric bike on a Wizzair flight?
Wizzair prohibits bringing hoverboards and drones on board, so there is a very high probability that electric bikes won’t be welcomed either.
You can cross-check this information from their FAQs section.
Can you bring an electric bike on an Easyjet flight?
The EasyJet terms and conditions page states that the airline doesn’t allow any electric rideable devices, be it for check-in or carry. Mobility devices are allowed though, as checked baggage.
Can you bring an electric bike on a British Airlines flight?
British airlines classify e-bikes as leisure devices that could risk fires on board. So they’ve prohibited bringing them on the plane on their restricted and prohibited items page.
Can you bring an electric bike on a Lufthansa flight?
Lufthansa Airlines includes electric bicycles in their list of dangerous goods that will not be allowed on their flights.
You can verify the information here.
Asian airlines rules for electric bikes
| Airline | Allows electric bikes? |
| China Southern | No |
| China Eastern | Not specified |
| Air China Group | No |
| Emirates | No |
| Qatar Airways | No |
| Hainan Airlines | Probably no |
| Air Asia Group | No |
| IndiGo | Probably no |
| Lion Air | No |
| Air Nippon | No |
| Japan Airlines | No |
| Garuda Indonesia | No |
| Singapore Airlines | No |
| Cathay Pacific | No |
| Air India | No |
| Korean Air | No |
| VietJet Air | Not specified |
| Jet Airways | Not specified |
| Spice Jet | Not specified |
| Vietnam Airlines | No |
| Cebu Pacific | Probably no |
| Thai Airways | No |
| Etihad | No |
| Asiana Airlines | No |
| Philippine Airlines | No |
| GoAir | Not specified |
| Malaysia Airlines | No |
Can you bring an electric bike on a Qatar Airways flight?
Qatar Airways does not allow small vehicles powered by lithium batteries as checked or hand baggage. Though they don’t specifically address ebikes, they’ve mentioned much smaller electric rideable like e-scooters and hoverboards. So they probably won’t allow ebikes either.
You can read the rules for yourself on the airline’s restricted baggage page.
Can you bring an electric bike on an Emirates flight?
Emirates’ dangerous goods policy prohibits bringing any personal motorized vehicle on board, both for check-in and carry.
Can you bring an electric bike on a Chinese airline flight?
Air China Group’s dangerous goods page forbids bringing any electric self-balancing vehicles on board.
Can you bring an electric bike on an Air Asia flight?
With the exception of wheelchairs, Air Asia prohibits all battery-powered personal transportation devices.
You can confirm this here.
Can you bring an electric bike on a Japan Airlines flight?
You can’t carry self-propelled electrically-powered vehicles on a Japan Airlines flight. They’ve made this clear on their restricted items page.
South American airlines rules for electric bikes
| Airline | Allows electric bikes? |
| Copa Airlines | No |
| Caribbean Airlines | No |
| LATAM | No |
| Gol | No |
| Avianca | Not specified |
| Azul Linhas | No |
| Aerolineas Argentina | No |
| Viva Air Colombia | Not specified |
| TAME | Not specified |
Can you bring an electric bike on a LATAM flight?
With the exception of mobility devices, LATAM Airlines prohibit all electric rideables on their flights. They mention this on their prohibited items page.
Can you bring an electric bike on a Copa Airways flight?
Copa Airways does not allow recreational lithium-ion powered mobility devices on their flights, including electric bikes.
You can find this information on their restricted baggage page.
Can you bring an electric bike on a Gol Airlines flight?
Gol Airlines refuse to transport any kind of self-balancing devices like electric bikes, Segways, hoverboards, etc, on their flights.
The information is available on their baggage page.
Can you bring an electric bike on an Azul flight?
Azul doesn’t allow hoverboards and electric scooters on their flights for safety reasons, as mentioned on their checked baggage page.
Since electric bikes have batteries bigger than electric scooters and hoverboards, they probably won’t be allowed either.
African airlines rules for electric bikes
| Airline | Allows electric bikes? |
| Ethiopian Airlines | No |
| Egypt Air | No |
| Royal Air Maroc | No |
| South African Airways | No |
| Kenya Airways | Probably no |
| Tunisair | No |
Can you bring an electric bike on a Royal Air Maroc flight?
Royal Air Maroc Airlines clearly prohibit all lithium-powered devices e.g. hoverboards, and Segways on their service fees page. This probably includes electric bikes as well.
Can you bring an electric bike on a Kenya Airways flight?
The Kenya Airways’ special baggage page explicitly mentions that no electric bicycles will be accepted on their flights.
Can you bring an electric bike on an Ethiopian Airlines flight?
Ethiopian Airlines prohibits all battery-powered, motorized vehicles on their flights due to safety reasons.
You can find this information on their restricted items page.
Which airlines allow bringing an electric scooter?
After going through all of the airline websites and their prohibited items lists, it’s safe to say that no airlines allow electric bikes on board. It’s simply deemed too risky. Some airlines allow some smaller electric devices, including very small electric scooters, drones, and hoverboards in some limited cases, but that’s because their battery powers are significantly less than an electric bike’s.
For your own peace of mind, I still recommend you check with your preferred airlines about their rules for electric bikes.
What are mobility aid devices, and why are they allowed on planes?
Mobility aid devices are designed especially to assist people who can’t move on their own. These devices include electric wheelchairs, mobility scooters, etc.
There are many reasons these devices are allowed on planes over other battery-powered vehicles like hoverboards and electric bikes.
For one, mobility aid devices go through extensive safety testing to protect the owner so they are less likely to malfunction on a plane.
More often than not, people with mobility issues completely depend on these devices to get around. So, airlines prioritize them over other electric vehicles.
Apart from that, the transportation of these devices is protected by local and international laws. The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) protects a person’s right to travel with their mobility aid devices and forbids any discrimination against passengers with disabilities by airlines.
This makes travel more accessible for the disabled, leading to a more unbiased and inclusive society.
Passengers that want to take their mobility aid devices on the plane are usually required to inform the airline when they book their tickets. This allows airlines to make the required arrangements to transport these devices safely.
How to calculate the size of your ebike battery?
You can find the rated capacity of your ebike on the specification sheet or by contacting the manufacturer. If you don’t have your bike’s user manual handy, you can search for the specifications of the ebike’s model online.
If you still can’t find the exact battery size for your ebike through the above methods, calculate the value through the following formula:
1 V * 1 Ah = 1 Wh
Simply multiply the voltage (in volts) of your ebike battery by its capacity (in Amp-hours) and you’ll get the battery size in watt-hours.
What can you do if the airline doesn’t allow your ebike on the plane?
Just because you can’t take your electric bike with you on the plane doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to transport your electric bike. You can ship your electric bike to your travel destination through a cargo or delivery service.
Just be careful to pack it thoroughly. Fragile equipment like electric bikes often gets damaged during the shipping process. Some delivery services will offer to pack the electric bike for you which is probably a good idea since they have more experience on how to pack fragile things.
Make sure the box your electric bike is shipped in has the words “FRAGILE” written on it in big bold letters. This alerts anyone handling your bike to be extra careful with the box.
If you don’t feel comfortable risking damage to your ebike by shipping it through a cargo service, you can try traveling with it on other modes of transport, like trains and ferries. You’ll have to research a company that allows traveling with electric bikes and look up their limits for the bike’s size and weight.
If the travel destination isn’t far, you could also contact bus services to ask about traveling with your electric bike.
These options work best if you plan on moving somewhere permanently.
But if you’re going on vacation and want to have an electric bike to drive around the city, just do what I do and rent one.
It’ll only cost you a few bucks and your own electric bike will be perfectly safe waiting for you at home.
How do you prepare your electric bike for transport?
Since no airlines allow electric bikes on board, you might have to get your ebike shipped. Here’s how to prepare your ebike for transport.
- Contact the shipping company and let them know of your battery’s specifications. Ask what they will charge and how they’ll ensure that your bike doesn’t get damaged during the shipping process.
- Take pictures of your electric bike and battery so that you have proof that the vehicle was not damaged in any way when it was packed and delivered to the cargo service.
- Drain your ebike battery to at least 30% as a safety precaution and remove it from the ebike.
- To secure your electric bike, you could cover it in bubble wrap and then put it in a bike bag or bike box. Put the battery in a bag specially designed to keep it safe.
- Drop off your electric bike at the delivery service or have them pick up the bike from your house. In both cases, give them a friendly reminder that the electric bike needs to be handled with care and that it is equipped with a lithium-ion battery.
- When you unpack the electric bike after getting settled in your destination, check for any damage. Test ride the bike to make sure everything is working properly.
If you find that the electric bike was damaged during transport, take pictures of the damage and report it to the cargo service. Most cargo services have a claim process through which they’ll compensate for the damage.
Just in case they refuse to compensate you for the damage and you need to take legal action, keep a record of the communication between you and the cargo service.
Conclusion
All airlines are bound by the regulations of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) when it comes to bringing battery-powered vehicles on the plane (and rightfully so).
Though airlines tend to go the extra mile to accommodate mobility aid devices, electric vehicles with a battery capacity of over 160 watt hours are a big no.
This range may accommodate some smaller electric scooters, but electric bikes usually have bigger batteries. Other alternatives to carrying your electric bike on a plane are to either ship your electric bike through a delivery service or rent one in the city you travel to.
