Southwest's new portable charger policy was vindicated after just 24 hours when a flight diverted due to a smoking battery pack
A Southwest Airlines flight had to divert after a passenger's battery charger started to smoke, the day after the airline introduced new rules for devices.
Thursday's Flight 1844, from Baltimore to Tampa, took off around 6 p.m.
However, data from Flightradar24 shows how an hour into the journey, the Boeing 737 made an abrupt right-hand turn.
In a statement shared with Business Insider, an airline spokesperson said, "A customer's battery charger apparently overheated and began to smoke."
Quick-thinking flight attendants followed procedures and put the device in a containment bag, they added.
Meanwhile, the captain diverted to the nearest suitable airport, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The plane landed safely, and the airline said it's investigating the incident.
"We appreciate the professionalism of our flight crew in swiftly handling the situation," the statement added.
Another Southwest plane picked up the passengers in Myrtle Beach and continued to Tampa nearly five hours later, per Flightradar24.
Last Wednesday, Southwest introduced what it called a "first-in-industry safety policy" related to portable charging devices.
It says customers must keep them visible while in use, so they cannot be stored in a bag or overhead bin while charging.
That's because quick intervention is key to preventing a fire from getting out of control.
Since a January incident in South Korea, the industry has taken a stricter approach to power banks and other lithium-battery devices.
An Air Busan plane was about to take off when a fire spread through the cabin, injuring seven people. Investigators later said the fire was likely caused by a power bank, found in an overhead luggage bin.
The Korean government subsequently tightened its rules for airlines, which included prohibiting storing them in the overhead bins.
Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration recorded about three incidents every two weeks, compared to fewer than one a week in 2018.
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