Japanese airlines to ban power banks in overhead compartments from July 8

Japan’s transport ministry has announced that air passengers must keep their power banks in plain sight and not in overhead bins, local media reported this week.

From July 8, passengers on board all 23 Japan-based airlines must ensure their portable chargers are visible to cabin staff, reported The Asahi Shimbun.

Passengers may charge their devices only in locations where the condition of the power bank can be monitored by cabin crew, The Japan Times reported.

Currently, the Japanese transport ministry prohibits passengers from checking in power banks.

Batteries exceeding 160 watt-hour (Wh) are banned, while passengers may only bring on board two battery packs rated between 100Wh and 160Wh.

The announcement by Japan is the latest in a series of similar moves by other airlines following a spate of in-flight cabin fires involving power banks.

On Jan 28, 2025, an

Air Busan plane caught fire

while preparing for departure at Busan’s Gimhae International Airport in South Korea, injuring three people. All 169 passengers and seven air crew members were evacuated. The incident was reportedly caused by a power bank.

Following this incident,

passengers boarding flights in South Korea were required to carry portable batteries and chargers on themselves from March 1

.

On Feb 24, the cabin of a Batik Air plane was filled with smoke shortly before landing, reportedly from a burning power bank. The plane was on route to Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport from Johor Bahru. No one was injured.

In 2024, three incidents of overheating lithium batteries on planes a fortnight were recorded globally by the US Federal Aviation Administration, compared with just under one incident a week in 2018.

In recent months, several airlines have imposed bans on charging power banks in-flight and restrictions on overhead storage.

Since April 1, passengers aboard

Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Scoot flights

have not been allowed to use power banks to charge their personal devices in-flight.

SIA and Scoot passengers are also not allowed to charge portable power banks via on-board USB ports throughout the duration of the flight.

Thai Airways has imposed a complete ban on the usage of power banks during flights since March 15. Passengers are permitted to bring their power banks on board only if they adhere to capacity limits set by the Thai Civil Aviation Authority.

Budget carrier AirAsia has also barred the charging of devices with power banks during flights.

More recently,

China’s Civil Aviation Administration said on June 26

that power banks can be brought on board only if it is clearly marked with the China Compulsory Certification. Power banks that have been recalled by manufacturers due to safety reasons are also prohibited.

China has prohibited passengers from charging devices using power banks on board since 2014.