A fire that broke out on a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Hobart is believed to have been caused by a power bank in a passenger’s carry-on luggage, prompting the airline to consider changes to its battery policy.
The Virgin flight VA1528 was making its descent into Hobart on Monday when the fire started in an overhead locker, a spokesperson for the airline said.
Video taken on board, reported by the online news outlet Pulse Tasmania, showed a flight attendant using a fire extinguisher on a smoking bag as passengers attempted to assist with their water bottles.
The Virgin spokesperson said cabin crew extinguished the fire before the plane landed and firefighters on the ground removed a bag from the locker.
“Safety is always our highest priority,” they said. “We appreciate the swift and professional response of our flight and cabin crew, as well as the support of Airservices Australia firefighters.”
No flight crew or passengers were injured.
The Hobart airport chief operating officer, Matt Cocker, said all passengers safely disembarked the aircraft, with one person assessed by paramedics for suspected smoke inhalation.
Virgin is investigating the incident with regulators the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Casa).
Spare lithium batteries including power banks are typically only permitted to be brought on planes in carry-on baggage because of the fire risk.
Virgin has said the investigation could result in other changes to its battery policy “to ensure the safety of our guests and team members”.
The average Australian passenger travels with at least four rechargeable lithium battery devices, Casa has said.
The agency previously issued a warning about flying with battery-powered devices, urging passengers to pack them safely.
Battery-powered devices such as laptops and cameras can be placed in checked luggage, as long as they are completely switched off, but spare batteries and power banks should always be placed in carry-on baggage only, Casa said.
The agency said batteries and power banks could short circuit, overheat and catch fire during a flight and that lithium-ion battery fires could be very difficult to extinguish.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) saw a 92% increase in reported incidents involving lithium-ion batteries in 2022 compared with 2020, Casa said.
In January, all 169 passengers and seven crew members were evacuated from an Air Busan Airbus on the tarmac in South Korea after it caught on fire before taking off.
Investigators reportedly believed the fire, which destroyed the plane, was caused by faulty power bank.
Several airlines have tightened their rules for flying with lithium batteries because of the risk of fires, including Singapore Airlines, which has banned passengers from using power banks during flights.
The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know.
If you have something to share on this subject you can contact us confidentially using the following methods.
Secure Messaging in the Guardian app
The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said.
If you don't already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu. Select ‘Secure Messaging’.
SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and post
See our guide at theguardian.com/tips for alternative methods and the pros and cons of each.
