Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has announced new regulations regarding the use of mobile batteries on airplanes, with a ban starting in mid-April. This decision comes as a response to multiple incidents of mobile batteries catching fire or smoking during flights, raising safety concerns among airlines and passengers. The ministry has opened a public comment period on the proposed amendments to aviation laws and has indicated that the new rules will include limiting the number of mobile batteries passengers can bring onboard, regardless of their energy capacity.

Currently, regulations allow passengers to bring two mobile batteries rated below 100 watt-hours and prohibit those exceeding 160 watt-hours, with a broader reevaluation of these standards underway domestically in response to discussions at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The new rules will restrict passengers to a maximum of two mobile batteries in total, combining both mobile batteries and spare batteries, while also urging airlines to recommend that passengers not use mobile batteries at all during flights. This marks a significant shift in aviation safety policies, reflecting widespread concerns over battery safety in the aviation industry.

The urgency for these regulations has been underscored by several incidents in Japan and abroad where mobile batteries have caused smoke or fires on planes. For instance, a January incident at Gimhae International Airport in South Korea involved a fire from a mobile battery on an Air Busan flight, leading to injury among 27 passengers. In Japan, other instances of mobile battery incidents have occurred on flights to and from major airports. As a result, airlines are stepping up measures to ensure passenger safety and prevent the occurrence of similar incidents in the future, highlighting a critical evolution in air travel safety standards.