A Chennai-bound IndiGo flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Sunday, October 11, after a passenger's power bank caught fire mid-air. A video from the flight showed passengers trying to put out the fire using their bags. The IndiGo crew responded quickly and used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. An alternate aircraft had also been arranged to take passengers from Hyderabad to Chennai. This incident once again raised concerns about the risks of carrying power banks inside flights.
Why Do Power Banks Catch Fire?
Power banks typically contain multiple lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) or lithium-ion battery cells. Many of these batteries may be low-quality, poorly manufactured, or even recycled. These batteries can store ample energy in a small space.
A power bank produces heat when it is charged or used to charge another device. Normally, this heat does not cause a problem. But if the battery gets too hot and cannot cool down, its temperature can rise very quickly.
Pierre Kubiak, a principal engineer specialising in battery technology at the UK's National Physical Laboratory, told the BBC that the temperature during such fires can rise to more than 700 to 1,000 degrees very quickly.
He said the fire does not come from lithium alone. Other materials inside the battery, including chemicals and plastic parts, can also catch fire. A battery fire inside a plane can be dangerous, as it can produce a lot of heat and smoke in a closed space.
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How to Carry Power Banks Safely?
According to IndiGo's official website, “Power banks and spare/loose lithium batteries are permitted only in hand baggage.”
Passengers are advised to carry power banks in hand/cabin baggage and keep them within reach. They can be kept under the seat, in the seat pocket, or carried on one's person.
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