A passenger’s Li-Ion Battery bust into flames on an Air China flight from Hangzhou to Seoul Incheon on October 17.
The battery, presumably a power bank, was stores in the overhead locker at the time of the incident. A picture shows that it also ignited luggage stowed in the locker.
The crew extinguished the blaze and the aircraft was diverted to Shanghai Pudong airport with no injuries reported. However, the aircraft was taken out of service for checks and a replacement aircraft was allocated. Passengers eventually reached Seoul around five and a quarter hours behind schedule.
READ: Battery Burnout: Cabin Management October/November 2025
“On October 18, on flight CA139 from Hangzhou to Incheon, a lithium battery in a passenger’s carry-on luggage stored in the overhead compartment spontaneously ignited” confirmed a statement issued by Air China.
The incident, while alarming for all involved, is not uncommon. Estimates for the frequency of overheating batteries on US internal flights alone is currently around one per week.
The post Incident: Passenger battery catches fire on Air China flight appeared first on Aviation Business News.
