Starting in April, Japan prohibits the use of power banks on airplanes

ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH/mos design

JAKARTA - The Japanese government will ban the use of power banks or portable chargers on airplanes starting in April.

The decision was made after a number of incidents where mobile phone batteries caught fire on flights.

The ban is not only limited to the use of power banks to charge smart phones, but will also be expanded to charging via a plug in the plane.

As reported by ANTARA from Kyodo, Wednesday, February 18, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MILT) decided to tighten the rules after in July 2025 urging passengers not to store power banks in the upper compartment and keep them within reach during the flight.

According to the MLIT, lithium-ion batteries commonly used in power banks can catch fire due to physical impact or gradual degradation.

Currently, portable batteries are prohibited from being placed in checked baggage, and their number and capacity are limited in cabin baggage.

The fire that occurred in January 2025 inside a low-cost airline plane operated by Air Busan Co. was allegedly caused by a faulty power bank.