A customer’s power bank burst into flames in the overhead bin of a packed IndiGo flight from Delhi to Chennai, forcing an emergency diversion after smoke filled the cabin.
The incident hit midair on Sunday on an IndiGo plane flying from Delhi to Chennai. Smoke and flames came from a customer’s personal electronic device stowed in the overhead lockers, and passengers tried to put the fire out before the crew took control.
The flight made an early landing in Hyderabad. Passengers later boarded a new aircraft to finish the trip to Chennai. No injuries were reported in the available account.
The Sun reported that IndiGo said smoke was detected from a customer’s personal electronic device and that cabin crew moved fast.
An IndiGo spokesperson said the flight made an early touchdown after the smoke was found.
"Cabin crew responded promptly, and the situation was brought under control."
The airline apologized for the “unforeseen situation” and offered refreshments and timely updates. It did not name the passenger or confirm the device type beyond a personal electronic device, though the reporting described it as a power bank.
The flames were in baggage storage above the seats, the same place travelers stuff chargers, spare batteries, and loose gadgets every day. Power banks can overheat and catch fire through thermal runaway, a failure that turns a small lithium pack into an onboard hazard fast.
On this IndiGo route, that risk left a full cabin dealing with smoke at altitude. Crews train for cabin fires. Passengers do not. When a device lights up in a closed bin, seconds matter and options shrink.
This was not a one-off pattern in the wider reporting around the story. A KLM flight from the Netherlands to the Caribbean, carrying 332 passengers, had a power bank explode and forced a return. Business Class took damage. A woman speaking about the device owner said he felt terrible about the inconvenience for everyone and was very upset, and called what he did “incredibly stupid.”
"He feels terrible about the situation and the inconvenience for everyone. He was very upset."
That same background noted the power bank reportedly belonged to the airline’s former CEO.
In July, China Eastern flight MU2421 from Lanzhou to Guiyang saw a power pack catch fire in overhead luggage. Crew put out the blaze. Authorities said a portable battery in a passenger’s hand luggage spontaneously ignited.
Airlines ban spare lithium batteries and power banks from checked bags for exactly this reason. Heat, crush damage, and short circuits turn cheap packs into ignition sources. When those packs ride in the cabin, a fire can still start, but at least crew can reach it.
IndiGo’s statement stayed measured. Smoke detected. Crew responded. Situation controlled. Early landing. New plane. Apology and refreshments. That is the minimum passengers should expect when a gadget fails at 30,000 feet.
What the public still does not have is a full damage report, a passenger count for this IndiGo flight, a named device owner, or word on any regulator review. The basic facts are plain enough: a personal device smoked and burned in the overhead bin, and a packed plane had to get on the ground.
Common sense still applies at the gate. If a battery pack is swollen, cheap, or banned from the hold, it does not belong next to hundreds of people in a sealed metal tube.
