A fire started on a Virgin Australia flight on Monday while the plane landed at Hobart International Airport. Nobody was injured, and officials believe an exploding power bank was the culprit.
According to a report by The Guardian, the fire started in an overhead locker on Virgin flight VA1528, which originally departed from Sydney. A spokesperson from Virgin confirmed that the plane crew managed to extinguish the fire before the aircraft landed. Firefighters removed the item from the plane once reached the airport.
Pulse Tasmania shared footage of the crew dealing with the fire. The cabin is full of smoke, and passengers appear to hand staff bottles of water to extinguish the blaze. After a few moments, someone hands the flight attendant a fire extinguisher to spray into the compartment.
The outlet reveals that passengers reported smelling smoke roughly 10 minutes before the plane landed. Witnesses claimed they saw flames when attendants first opened the locker.
Paramedics Treated One Passenger For Smoke Inhalation After The Power Bank Incident
Multiple outlets report that nobody was hurt during the incident. Matt Cocker, the chief operating officer of Hobart Airport, confirmed to The Independent that one person received medical assistance for suspected smoke Inhalation. He reportedly said that all flights were running as usual at the airport, except the Virgin flight back to Sydney.
Per the Guardian, a spokesperson for Virgin 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.” Authorities are investigating the incident, and the outlet claims that Virgin has stated it may change its battery policies “to ensure the safety of our guests and team members.”
If you’re not a frequent flyer, you may be surprised to learn that airlines have specific rules regarding power banks. These rules differ between providers, but an article by Flight Right points out that they are generally allowed, but only as “carry-on baggage.” Airlines typically restrict each customer to two power packs in their luggage, and they must not exceed a 100 Wh capacity. The outlet also recommends declaring the power bank at airport security checkpoints just in case.