A Hong Kong Airlines flight from Hangzhou (HGH) to Hong Kong (HKG) was diverted due to a fire in the overhead luggage compartment, but landed safely at Fuzhou Changle International Airport (FOC) on Thursday (March 20, 2025).
The Hong Kong Airlines flight HX115, operated by an Airbus A320-232 aircraft (B-LPC), was just 15 minutes enroute to Hong Kong at the time of incident. Hong Kong Airlines said that the fire had been successfully extinguished and it was now fully committed to providing assistance to passengers and crew members.
As per the footage available, crew and passengers using water and juice to put out the flames. One passenger described the scene as “like a movie”.
The flight HX115 took off from Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport at 12:56 p.m. on Thursday and was originally scheduled to land in Hong Kong at 2:56 p.m., but due to the "cabin fire" it made an emergency landing at Fuzhou Changle Airport at 1:56 p.m. It is not yet known how many people were on board.
After the plane landed safely on Runway 03 in Fuzhou, the aircraft taxiied to the designated gate, the passengers disembarked and took a shuttle bus to reach the terminal. Emergency responders and Fire trucks were on standby at the apron, but were not used as the situation was under control.
As per latest reports, the incident did not cause any casualties, and it was suspected that the fire was caused by a mobile charging device (power bank).
From the footage of the incident, some passengers left their seats and squatted in the aisle before the plane landed.
As per the reports, the fire broke out inflight and inside the overhead luggage rack which alerted the passengers and crew. After the cabin attendants and passengers put out the fire, they continued to pour water and drinks to prevent it from re-igniting. The luggage rack was burnt and severely blackened.
Its to be noted that various airlines have started banning the usage of power banks inflight due to the risk of battery fire hazard which could endanger the flight safety.
Recently, Singapore Airlines and its subsidiary Scoot changed thier Power bank carriage policy for safe operation of flight. Effective 1st April 2025, Singapore Airlines customers will not be allowed to use portable power banks during a flight.
In January this year, Air Busan caught fire on a flight from Busan to Hong Kong, and it was later discovered that it was suspected that a mobile power bank or related electronic equipment was causing the accident.
In addition to many Korean airlines, the regulations have been changed to require passengers not to use mobile power banks during flights.
Taiwan's EVA Air also announced last month that it will prohibit the use of mobile power banks (also known as power banks or chargers) and spare lithium batteries on aircraft from March 1, and these two items are also prohibited from being checked in.
EVA Air announced the new rule through its Facebook page and advised passengers to fully charge their devices before boarding, or use the AC socket and USB (Type A) charging port on board to charge electronic products.
According to EVA Air's official website, all of its fleets are equipped with seat AC sockets in the Royal Seal Laurel Cabin, Laurel Cabin and Premium Economy Class. This service is also available in Economy Class for passengers travelling on 787, 777-300ER or A330-300 aircraft (with the exception of some Economy Class seats on the 777-300ER).
EVA Air stresses that power banks and spare lithium batteries are also strictly prohibited from being checked in, and passengers must carry them with them and store them properly to avoid crushing or damage to ensure flight safety.
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