Airlines across the globe are cracking down on a popular device following safety concerns and are banning it from being stored in overhead lockers – here’s everything you need to know
A growing list of major airlines has banned a popular item from being stored in the overhead lockers during flights amid safety fears.
Japan is among the latest countries to join the global clampdown on carrying portable chargers on flights. On Monday, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism unveiled a series of new regulations for passengers with these devices.
Set to kick in from 8 July, travellers will need to keep power banks – even if not in use – within sight at all times and not stashed away in overhead compartments.
In addition, passengers flying domestically within Japan or internationally on Japanese carriers such as All Nippon Airways or Japan Airlines will also face limitations on the type of chargers they can bring onboard. To mitigate the risk of explosions and fires, batteries exceeding a capacity of 160 watt-hours will be prohibited.
The ministry’s rules stipulate that passengers can only carry two such devices when flying. Portable electronic gadgets, like mobile phones or laptops, must be placed somewhere they can be constantly monitored for overheating while charging, reports the Express.
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These modifications are in addition to existing restrictions that prevent power banks from being stored in checked luggage in aircraft holds.
Japan is following in the footsteps of China’s Civil Aviation Administration in tightening regulations on portable chargers. Just last Saturday, the Chinese regulator decreed that anyone travelling by air within China can only carry devices that have been safety-certified in the country.
The push for tighter regulations follows an incident in which a fire engulfed an Air Busan aircraft in South Korea this January, injuring seven. Portable chargers were cited as a potential culprit.
This led South Korea to issue reminders to passengers to keep their chargers close and visible during flights. Taiwanese airlines EVA Air and China Airlines have also clamped down, prohibiting the use of power banks on board.
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Ryanair has also been cautioning its customers against stowing portable chargers in overhead compartments.
The Air Transport Association, representing 350 carriers and over 80% of worldwide air traffic, advised: “We recommend that you keep all your electronic devices in carry-on baggage.”
In the United States alone, 84 recorded incidents last year involved malfunctions of lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in these portable chargers, up from 32 in 2016. With these gadgets becoming increasingly popular, sales are soaring in the UK, where the market was valued at $62m in 2023, as reported by Next Move Strategy Consulting.
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