Power banks and liquids in cabin bags: 2026 rules

TL;DR

An emergency change to international rules, approved on 27 March 2026, limits power banks in the cabin; Europe's aviation safety agency states it as two per person, carry-on only, not recharged on board. Japan applies it from 24 April 2026 and also bans charging devices from them in flight. In the EU, liquids stay at 100 ml per container.¹²³

What changed for power banks in March 2026?

Japan's transport ministry reports that, after an increase in lithium-battery fires on aircraft worldwide, the International Civil Aviation Organization approved an emergency revision of the international standard on 27 March 2026 (local time), applying at once. The revision limits how many power banks can be carried in the cabin and restricts charging.¹

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency's guide for passengers sets out the rule as follows.²

Spare batteries and power banks go in your carry-on bag only, never in checked baggage.²
Each must be protected individually against short circuits.²
A maximum of two per person in total.²
They should not be recharged on board.²
A battery must not exceed a set watt-hour rating, and should come from original retailers.²

Airlines can be stricter, so read your airline's dangerous goods information before you fly.²

We state the international rule in our own words from the Japanese ministry and EASA pages. We do not quote the International Civil Aviation Organization, whose website does not allow reuse without its written permission.

What are Japan's power-bank rules from 24 April 2026?

Japan aligned its own rules with the international revision and applies these additions from Friday 24 April 2026.¹

No more than two power banks in the cabin, each of 160 Wh or less.¹
Do not charge a power bank on board.¹
Do not charge other electronic devices from a power bank on board.¹
As before, power banks may not be packed in checked baggage.¹

Is the EU's 100 ml liquids rule still in force?

Yes, according to the official pages we checked. Your Europe, last checked by the Commission on 16 June 2026, says liquids carried in the cabin must be in containers of no more than 100 ml, inside one transparent plastic bag of up to 1 litre; larger containers go in checked baggage.³

The volume limit does not apply to medicines and baby food. The Commission adds that these are allowed only for use during the trip and that you may be asked to prove they are genuine.³⁴

Duty-free liquids can go in hand luggage if the item and receipt stay sealed in the security bag given when you bought them; do not open it before your final destination. If security staff open it and you have a connection, ask them to re-seal it in a new bag.³

Some EU airports with newer cabin-baggage scanners had let passengers carry larger containers. The Commission returned those airports to the standard 100 ml limit from 1 September 2024, describing it as a temporary measure for a technical issue.⁵

We found no newer official EU page lifting that restriction when we checked. Rules on prohibited items can differ in detail by airport, and Your Europe tells travellers to check the airport's website or ask the airline before travelling.³

What this page cannot tell you

Rules keep moving. Power-bank rules changed internationally on 27 March 2026 and in Japan on 24 April 2026, and airlines can add their own. Check your airline's page before each flight.
The EASA page is undated. It matches the Japanese ministry's account of the international change, but we could not read the EU legal acts themselves, as the official legal database refused automated access when we checked.
Watt-hour limits are not tabulated here. We give Japan's 160 Wh cap because the ministry states it; other limits depend on the airline and the battery.
Airports differ on liquids. Official pages still give the 100 ml rule; if an airport's own page says otherwise for its scanners, that page is the one to follow on the day.

Key takeaways

Carry power banks in your hand luggage, protected against short circuits, and no more than two.
Do not charge the power bank, or anything from it, during the flight.
In the EU, pack liquids in containers of 100 ml or less, in one clear bag.
What we would skip: packing a spare battery or power bank in a checked suitcase, which both EASA and Japan's rules forbid.

Sources

Power-bank rules come from Japan's transport ministry (press release of 14 April 2026) and EASA's passenger guide; liquids rules from the European Commission's Your Europe and transport pages. All were read on 24 September 2026. See how we research.

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Japan), モバイルバッテリーの機内持込みの新たなルールについて (new rules on carrying power banks on board), press release, 14 April 2026, with its PDF. Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. 出典：国土交通省ウェブサイト（https://www.mlit.go.jp/report/press/kouku10_hh_000310.html）
European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Dangerous goods when flying (EASA Light). Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. Source: European Union Aviation Safety Agency; reproduction authorised provided the source is acknowledged. We summarised it.
European Commission, Your Europe, Luggage restrictions (page last checked by the Commission 16 June 2026). Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. © European Union, licensed under CC BY 4.0; we summarised it.
European Commission, Mobility and Transport, Information for air travellers. Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. © European Union, licensed under CC BY 4.0; we summarised it.
European Commission, Mobility and Transport, Commission enforces temporary restrictions on liquid screening at certain EU airports, news, 31 July 2024. Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. © European Union, licensed under CC BY 4.0; we summarised it.

Changes made. We translated the Japanese ministry's release and summarised it and the EU pages in our own words; the lists are our arrangement. The international rule is paraphrased, not quoted. 「モバイルバッテリーの機内持込みの新たなルールについて」（国土交通省）（https://www.mlit.go.jp/report/press/kouku10_hh_000310.html）を加工して作成。Edits by Gallivanting Gadabout.