Latest news with #VirginAustralia
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Could my power bank start a fire on board a plane? Here are the rules and the risks
Virgin Australia says it is considering changes to its rules around lithium batteries after a fire on a flight from Sydney was thought to have been caused by a power bank in a passenger's carry-on luggage. Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Casa) has said the average passenger travels with at least four rechargeable lithium battery devices, which can be contained in smartphones, laptops and portable power banks. If you're wondering what the rules are, and why lithium-ion batteries are considered a risk on flights, here's a quick overview. Yes. But rules vary, so you should check the airline's restrictions before you fly. Generally, laptops and cameras can be packed in checked luggage as long as they are completely switched off, according to Casa. But spare batteries and power banks should only go into carry-on baggage because batteries and power banks can short circuit, overheat and catch fire during a flight. Lithium-ion batteries that exceed 160Wh are not permitted at all, unless they are used for mobility aids. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Smart bags with power banks or lithium-ion batteries are allowed as long as the battery can be removed before check-in and carried in a passenger's cabin baggage. Virgin Australia says any spare or loose batteries, including power banks, must be in carry-on baggage only and must be protected by placing them in their original retail packaging, or placing each battery in a separate plastic bag or protective pouch, or taping over exposed terminals. Qantas says passengers travelling with power banks, including Apple AirPod cases, and spare or loose batteries, must only take them in carry-on baggage. The airline says it does not recommend the use or charging of power banks onboard due to safety. Several international airlines have banned the use of power banks on board, including Thai Airways, South Korean Airlines, EVA Air, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Singapore Airlines and its budget subsidiary, Scoot. If you're flying with an international carrier, you should check its rules before your flight. Generally, passengers are required to pack their power banks in their carry-on luggage. But whether they can be used on the plane depends on the specific airline. Not necessarily. Prof Neeraj Sharma, a battery expert at the University of New South Wales, says lithium-ion batteries can have 20 different components, some of which are liquids, making them more volatile than other, solid parts such as the electrodes or casing. Applying pressure to a lithium-ion battery can lead to 'thermal runaway' – an uncontrollable increase in temperature – but a battery exploding is incredibly rare. Sharma says airlines still instruct people to carry batteries in their hand luggage as a way to mitigate risk, because there is a minimal pressure difference in a plane cabin compared to the baggage hold. Sharma says power banks and other lithium-ion battery devices that aren't as well regulated as mobile phones or laptops – such as e-scooters and vapes – pose more of a risk and may have lower quality batteries. Prof Amanda Ellis, the head of the University of Melbourne's School of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, says lithium battery fires aren't more likely on planes. She says airline cabin pressure wouldn't get to the batteries because they are covered by 'multiple layers of casing' but any enclosed environment makes fires particularly dangerous, especially as a plane can't be evacuated mid-air. 'They give off a very toxic gas and in a confined space that's not ideal,' she says. Ellis says lithium-ion battery fires are difficult to extinguish because often the lithium metal catches on fire, along with all the casing and the plastic – high energy materials that can burn for much longer. 'You wouldn't want to put water on a lithium fire. And that's the first thing people [on a plane] might think of doing.' The batteries contain lithium ions suspended in an electrolyte solution. The ions flow through the electrolyte, travelling back and forth between two electrodes as the battery charges and discharges. Ellis says a common cause is from people overcharging their batteries, so they overheat, which results in thermal runaway. If there's too much energy in the battery, it can crack, causing the highly flammable electrolyte inside it to burst into flames when exposed to air. She says phones and other, more sophisticated lithium battery-powered devices have an internal 'trickle system' which slowly adds current into the battery to prevent overcharging. But cheaper power banks typically don't have this safeguard, Ellis says, making them more of a risk. 'Never charge your power bank overnight,' she says. 'Never charge it more than it has to be charged. In a way you've got to watch the power bank for when the light goes from red to green, and unplug it.' Ellis says that, overall, batteries are very safe if used appropriately and in the right conditions, and people shouldn't be worried about flying because of them.
The Independent
12 hours ago
- The Independent
Fire breaks out on Virgin Australia plane mid-flight likely due to power bank
A fire broke out on a Hobart -bound Virgin Australia flight mid-air reportedly from a passenger's power bank inside the overhead cabin. Flight VA1528, which departed from Sydney, was beginning its descent into Hobart about 9am on Monday when the fire started in an overhead locker, according to reports. The cabin crew reportedly found a lithium battery on fire after they opened the overhead compartment following complaints of a smell of smoke. Passengers told local media that flames leapt out of the locker, which triggered panic and prompted some travellers to jump out of their seats. The crew extinguished the fire before landing and removed the bag once the plane landed. The plane landed safely at Hobart Airport after the incident, a Virgin Australia spokesperson said in a statement. 'All guests disembarked the aircraft, as per standard operating procedures,' the spokesperson 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." The crew members were assessed by paramedics upon landing. Matt Cocker, the chief operating officer of Hobart Airport, said one person received medical attention for suspected smoke inhalation. 'The outbound Virgin flight back to Sydney is currently delayed; however, all other operations at Hobart Airport are running as usual,' he said. A series of incidents globally involving lithium battery products, including power banks, overheating on planes, have prompted authorities to tighten rules on power banks. In January this year, South Korea said that a spare power bank was the possible cause of a fire that had engulfed a Busan Air flight to Hong Kong. Aviation rules generally say power banks should be carried in cabin baggage, but increasingly airlines are banning their use on board and say they must be kept within view to spot any problems. Lithium batteries in devices such as laptops, mobile phones, electronic cigarettes, and power banks can produce smoke, fire or extreme heat when manufacturing faults or damage cause them to short-circuit. They are a growing concern for aviation safety as passengers carry more battery-powered items on flights. Last year, the US Federal Aviation Administration recorded three incidents of lithium batteries overheating on planes every two weeks globally compared to just under one a week in 2018. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission witnessed a 92 per cent increase in reported incidents involving lithium-ion batteries in 2022, according to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. In June 2024, A Melbourne-bound Virgin Australia flight made an emergency landing at a New Zealand airport after a fire shut down one of its engines. The flight was diverted to Invercargill, nearly 200km from Queenstown, after one of the engines caught fire due to a "possible bird strike", the airline said.
The Advertiser
15 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Virgin could update in-flight battery use policy following aircraft fire
A woman charges her phone with a portable charger while waiting at an airport. Shutterstock By Sarah Falson Updated July 22 2025 - 2:03pm, first published 12:58pm Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue reading All articles from our website The digital version of Today's Paper All other in your area Flight VA1528 landed safely at Hobart Airport on Monday after a fire in an overhead locker was discovered during the aircraft's descent. A Virgin Australia spokesperson said the airline had initiated an investigation into the fire that originated from a passenger's carry-on luggage stored overhead. "This investigation, conducted with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is ongoing," the spokesperson said. "Any relevant findings from this investigation may inform permanent changes to our battery policy to ensure the safety of our guests and team members." The cause of the fire is believed to be a power bank in a passenger's bag. A portable charger. Picture by Gomi/Unsplash As a precautionary measure, Virgin Australia is conducting a simultaneous review of the carriage and use of power banks on board. They have also asked that guests travelling with power banks keep them within sight and easily accessible at all times throughout the flight. They are encouraging guests not to use power banks to charge devices while on board. The current policy states all guests travelling with power banks are required to carry them into the cabin. Other airlines followed suit with their own power bank rules including Singapore Airlines and its Scoot subsidiary, EVA Air, Korean Airlines, China Airlines, Thai Airways and Asiana Airlines. FCM Travel (owned by Flight Centre) general manager ANZ Renos Rologas told ACM (the publisher of this masthead) in April it was only a matter of time before other airlines followed suit. "There has long been concern of the safety and reliability of portable chargers, and we're starting to see carriers take extra precautions beyond the aviation industry's current requirements," Mr Rologas said. Words by Sarah Falson Sarah is ACM's travel producer. She believes regional travel is just as fun (if not better) than staying in the big cities and loves any travel experience to do with nature, animals and food!.My all-time favourite destination is ... Cornwall. From the giant seagulls to the blustery beaches, Cornish pasties and fishing villages, it stirs something romantic and seafaring in me. Next on my bucket list is … Mongolia. I want to go somewhere really unique that feels totally foreign and challenges my way of life. My top travel tip is … Don't plan too much. Walk the streets and let it happen. And make sure you check out what's within a few blocks of your hotel - sometimes the best local food is found that way.
The Guardian
16 hours ago
- The Guardian
Fire in overhead locker on Virgin Australia flight believed to be caused by lithium battery in power bank
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 Tasmanian Pulse, 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. 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 4 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 to 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.
Sky News AU
18 hours ago
- General
- Sky News AU
Horror as fire erupts on Sydney to Hobart Virgin Australia flight, causing major panic onboard with one passenger receiving medical attention
Passengers onboard a Virgin Australia plane from Sydney to Tasmania were temporarily thrown into panic after a fire broke out mid-flight. Flight VA1528 was beginning its descent into Hobart about 9am on Monday when the fire started in an overhead locker, filling the cabin with smoke. Passengers reported smelling the smoke ten minutes before the plane landed. Witnesses onboard told Pulse Tasmania flight crew opened an overhead compartment and discovered a lithium battery on fire inside a bag, while passengers described seeing flames leap out of the locker. Several passengers reportedly jumped out of their seats in panic as voices could be heard in recorded footage yelling: "All the way down the back, keep moving quicker." Flight attendants also instructed passengers not to film the fire as it unfolded, witnesses reported. Initial attempts at putting out the fire with onboard extinguishers were unsuccessful, the outlet reported. Cabin crew then doused the overhead compartment with water, eventually putting out the flames. Airport firefighters removed the smouldering battery from the Boeing 737-8FE cabin once the plane landed safely. Hobart Airport COO Matt Cocker said one person received medical treatment for suspected smoke inhalation. 'The outbound Virgin flight back to Sydney is currently delayed, however all other operations at Hobart Airport are running as usual,' he said. Paramedics also checked over flight and cabin crew as a precaution. '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,' a Virgin Australia spokesperson said. No other flights at Hobart Airport were impacted by the fire, but the replacement aircraft for the return flight was delayed by five hours.
