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Japan set to prohibit use of power banks on flights
The ban aims to prevent lithium-ion battery fires after multiple incidents; passengers may carry up to two power banks but cannot use or charge them onboard.
- Wednesday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism notified domestic airlines it will ban in-cabin use of mobile batteries from April, based on the Civil Aeronautics Act.
- After repeated cabin fires and smoke incidents, the transport ministry urged travelers since July to keep power banks within reach following incidents involving Air Busan, Japan Airlines, Air China, and ANA.
- Regulators will bar using mobile batteries to recharge passengers' electronic devices inside cabins and prohibit charging mobile batteries at in-seat power outlets.
- Each flyer may still bring up to two power banks into the cabin, while checked baggage rules and carry-on number and capacity limits continue to apply.
- Internationally, the International Civil Aviation Organization is studying regulation as some foreign airlines have already banned in-cabin mobile battery use, while the Civil Aviation Bureau expects a policy by late March.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Times of India
The Economic TimesJapan to ban use of power banks on passenger flights from April 2026
Japan will ban mobile power banks on passenger aircraft starting April, following international safety guidelines. New regulations will limit passengers to two batteries of 160 watt-hours or fewer, aiming to prevent overheating and fire incidents. These stricter rules apply to all flights departing from or arriving in Japan.
Kyodo News+
The Straits TimesJapan to ban in-flight use of power banks from April
Japan's transport ministry has notified airlines that it will ban the use of power banks on airplanes from April after a series of incidents in which mobile batteries caught fire on flights, a source familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
[Yomiuri Shimbun] It has been learned that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is considering banning the use of mobile batteries on aircraft from April. The government will strengthen regulations in response to a series of fires involving mobile batteries with built-in lithium-ion batteries. According to sources, the ban is being considered.
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