Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links below. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
An IndiGo flight was evacuated after a passenger’s power bank caught fire shortly after landing. This latest incident further highlighted growing concerns around lithium battery safety on aircraft.
The incident occurred on flight 6E 108 from Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) after it arrived at Chandigarh’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport (IXC). A passenger’s portable charger ignited inside the cabin and prompted a swift response from the crew. Flight attendants contained the fire and initiated an emergency evacuation using slides. All 198 passengers and crew were safely evacuated with no injuries reported.
The incident comes amid increasing scrutiny of lithium battery safety in aviation. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), nearly 100 battery-related incidents were reported in 2025 alone with many involving power banks and electronic devices.
In response to the growing number of incidents, American Airlines is introducing stricter rules on portable chargers:
- Passengers may carry no more than two power banks
- Each device must not exceed 100 watt-hours
- Chargers must remain visible or within reach at all times
- Devices cannot be stored in overhead bins
- Charging the power banks onboard is not permitted
These rules also apply to devices with built-in lithium batteries (such as certain smart luggage). Other airlines are taking similar steps. Southwest Airlines has recently limited passengers to just one portable charger per person.
Lithium-ion batteries pose a unique risk because they can overheat and ignite if damaged or defective. As incidents continue to rise, airlines are tightening policies to reduce risk and ensure quick response if issues occur mid-flight.
Anthony’s Take: The IndiGo evacuation underscores how quickly battery incidents can escalate (even after landing). With airlines introducing stricter rules worldwide, passengers should expect closer scrutiny of portable chargers as safety becomes a top priority.
(Featured Image Credit: @Rhyacharya via X.)
User Generated Content Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.
Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
