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.
The ban will not be limited to using power banks to charge smartphones but will also extend to charging them via onboard power outlets, the source said.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has decided to strengthen its measures after urging travelers since July not to stow power banks in overhead compartments and to keep them within reach during flights.
Lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in power banks, can ignite upon physical impact or due to gradual degradation, according to the ministry.
Mobile batteries are currently not allowed in checked baggage, and there are limits on the number and capacity permitted in carry-on luggage.
A fire that broke out in January 2025 aboard a low-cost carrier operated by Air Busan Co. is believed to have been caused by a defective power bank.
© KYODO
17 Comments
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SSNorCal
I hope solid state and / or whatever Donut Labs is claiming comes to market in power banks soon.
spektral
i dont see why charging the phones with the usb ports in the airplane is also banned...this makes no sense.
USNinJapan2
You can still charge your phone using the provided USB ports. The ban is on charging power banks from those ports. Essentially, you're prohibited from doing charging or discharging your power bank while aboard the aircraft.
wallace
The ban will not be limited to using power banks to charge smartphones but will also extend to charging them via onboard power outlets, the source said.
ian
Yeah I also didn't see that in the article
smithinjapan
spektral: "i dont see why charging the phones with the usb ports in the airplane is also banned...this makes no sense."
Yeah, it's poorly worded, but I think the "them" refers to powerbanks, not the phones.
ian: "Yeah I also didn't see that in the article"
I can see where spektral made the mistake, it says "also charging them" immediately after saying "using powerbanks to charge phones", so grammatically the pronoun should refer to phones, but based on context it more than likely means the powerbanks.
In any case, I sure hope you can still carry them (without using them to charge on flight). There's no indication they are banning them, but still.
Cooked
Was searching for that information when I first saw it reported yesterday. Found you can still carry up to two power banks on board but you just aren’t allowed to use them.
Now I’m wondering if the case for my wireless earphones is counted as a power bank though.
WoodyLee
It's about time.
ian
For me, yes. But the ban is on using them to charge smartphones.
You can't charge them on the planes though
WoodyLee
Some of the banks are made so cheap they literally melt while in use. Sold on amazon and other sites for as little as 2,980 JPY but the quality is horrible.
ian
Yup easy mistake to make that's why I was hinting he may have misunderstood
Cooked
This article at least just says a ban on in-flight use. Nothing specific about smartphones only.
wallace
Power banks should be banned from planes.
TokyoLiving
Excellent...
ian
A ban mentions what is/are being banned.
You also want it to mention what are not being banned?
John-San
I wonder if the charging ban will be extended to ferries and buses
Cooked
Your comment suggests only smartphones. This article says not limited to smartphones. Other articles say any personal device. I want to know if earphones in their cases are counted. Are they personal devices charged by a power bank or not? I don’t care about what is not banned.