Fire breaks out on Virgin Australia plane mid-flight likely due to power bank

A fire broke out on a Hobart-bound Virgin Australia flight mid-air reportedly from a passenger’s power bank inside the overhead cabin.

Flight VA1528, which departed from Sydney, was beginning its descent into Hobart about 9am on Monday when the fire started in an overhead locker, according to reports.

The cabin crew reportedly found a lithium battery on fire after they opened the overhead compartment following complaints of a smell of smoke. Passengers told local media that flames leapt out of the locker, which triggered panic and prompted some travellers to jump out of their seats.

The crew extinguished the fire before landing and removed the bag once the plane landed.

The plane landed safely at Hobart Airport after the incident, a Virgin Australia spokesperson said in a statement. “All guests disembarked the aircraft, as per standard operating procedures,” the spokesperson said.

"Safety is always our highest priority. We appreciate the swift and professional response of our flight and cabin crew, as well as the support of Airservices Australia firefighters."

The crew members were assessed by paramedics upon landing.

Matt Cocker, the chief operating officer of Hobart Airport, said one person received medical attention for suspected smoke inhalation. “The outbound Virgin flight back to Sydney is currently delayed; however, all other operations at Hobart Airport are running as usual,” he said.

A series of incidents globally involving lithium battery products, including power banks, overheating on planes, have prompted authorities to tighten rules on power banks. In January this year, South Korea said that a spare power bank was the possible cause of a fire that had engulfed a Busan Air flight to Hong Kong.

Aviation rules generally say power banks should be carried in cabin baggage, but increasingly airlines are banning their use on board and say they must be kept within view to spot any problems.

Lithium batteries in devices such as laptops, mobile phones, electronic cigarettes, and power banks can produce smoke, fire or extreme heat when manufacturing faults or damage cause them to short-circuit. They are a growing concern for aviation safety as passengers carry more battery-powered items on flights.

Last year, the US Federal Aviation Administration recorded three incidents of lithium batteries overheating on planes every two weeks globally compared to just under one a week in 2018.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission witnessed a 92 per cent increase in reported incidents involving lithium-ion batteries in 2022, according to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

In June 2024, A Melbourne-bound Virgin Australia flight made an emergency landing at a New Zealand airport after a fire shut down one of its engines.

The flight was diverted to Invercargill, nearly 200km from Queenstown, after one of the engines caught fire due to a "possible bird strike", the airline said.