Stories
IndiGo Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Power Bank Catches Fire in Overhead Bin
- •An IndiGo flight from Delhi to Chennai was diverted to Hyderabad after a passenger's power bank caught fire in the overhead baggage compartment.
- •All passengers and crew members landed safely with no injuries, and an alternative flight was arranged to take them to their destination.
- •The incident highlights the growing aviation safety concerns surrounding lithium-ion batteries and thermal runaway.
- •Aviation authorities like India's DGCA have issued advisories restricting the use and placement of power banks on flights to prevent such emergencies.
- •Passengers are advised to keep power banks in cabin baggage, monitor them for overheating, and immediately alert cabin crew in case of smoke or fire.
Key Questions Answered
An IndiGo flight 6E 6115 traveling from Delhi to Chennai was forced to divert to Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport after a passenger's power bank caught fire inside an overhead baggage compartment.
Power banks can undergo thermal runaway, a process where an uncontrollably rising temperature triggers internal chemical reactions that generate intense heat, toxic smoke, and flames. Manufacturing defects or physical damage can also lead to dangerous short circuits.
Under DGCA guidelines and airline policies, spare lithium batteries and power banks must be kept strictly in hand baggage within the cabin and are forbidden in checked-in luggage. Passengers are restricted from placing power banks in overhead bins and cannot use them to charge electronic devices during flights.
