A passenger’s power bank caught fire mid-air on a Chennai-bound IndiGo flight on Sunday.
A Chennai-bound IndiGo flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Sunday after a passenger’s power bank caught fire mid-air. The cabin filled with smoke and the crew had to extinguish the fire. Authorities have launched an investigation.
A similar incident occurred in May. After touchdown, chaos erupted on a Chandigarh-bound IndiGo flight after a passenger’s power bank exploded, initiating an emergency evacuation of passengers.
Sagar Mitra, professor at IIT Bombay, said power banks substituted with low-quality counterfeit cells exhibit manufacturing defects, which might be the most probable cause of the fire on the October 11 flight.
Most airlines in India, including IndiGo, SpiceJet and Air India, prohibit passengers from carrying power banks in checked-in baggage. Such devices are generally permitted in cabin baggage under prescribed limits.
In November 2025, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a dangerous goods advisory prohibiting passengers from using or charging power banks during flights. The regulator also barred passengers from storing power banks in overhead bins.
Mitra added that users should cease using any power bank that overheats during charging or discharge.
Source: The Indian Express
