New power bank rules on flights

New power bank rules on flights were introduced in the last few weeks. You can no longer use a power bank to charge phones and electronic appliances on a flight. Furthermore, you are not allowed to store power banks in luggage you are checking in. Any power banks must be in your hand luggage. Moreover, they must stay on your person at all times. In other words, you cannot put them in the overhead storage compartment. 

Thanks to the American Forces Network's Eagle 810 radio station that is available in the Kanto plain, I was aware of these new rules and prepared accordingly. They have been relaying the new rules through public service announcements on the radio station for the last few weeks. What I wasn't aware of, until my recent international travel, is that it is not just Japan that is enforcing these new rules. I fly to four different countries in Europe in the last few days and they are all applying the same rules.

Moreover, within Europe they are really driving the message home. On my flight from Japan, the cabin crew made a couple of announcements about the new power bank rules. But on my flights within Europe, both the cabin crew and the pilots made the announcements. And not just once, but several times. In addition, anyone they saw using power banks, they told them it was "forbidden" and explained the new rules to them one-to-one. It seems they really want to get the word out that you can no longer use power banks on flights anymore.