Flight diverted because of power bank charging device in hold luggage
By Sam Peters, CNN
(CNN) — An EasyJet flight bound for London was forced to divert to Rome after a passenger told crew they had left a device charging from a power bank in their hold luggage, the airline told CNN.
Flight EZY2618 departed from Hurghada, a popular Egyptian tourist destination on the Red Sea, on Tuesday.
FlightAware data shows the plane cruising at 10,980 meters (around 36,000 feet) until three and a half hours into the flight, when the plane diverts to the Italian capital, landing at Rome Fiumicino at 11:33 p.m.
After crew were made aware of the power bank charging another device in the passenger’s luggage, “the Captain then took the decision to divert as a precaution in line with safety regulations,” EasyJet said in a statement to CNN.
“The safety of its customers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority and easyJet operates its fleet of aircraft in strict compliance with all manufacturers’ guidelines,” the statement said. “We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by the diversion and subsequent delay.”
Passengers were given hotels and meals for the evening, before finishing their journey to London Luton Airport on Wednesday morning, EasyJet said.
The International Civil Aviation Organization imposed new restrictions on power banks in March. Under the new rules, each passenger is restricted to two power banks and they are not allowed to recharge them during flights.
Individual airlines have previously curbed power bank usage on flights. Singapore Airlines banned passengers from using power banks to charge their devices at all during flights.
Southwest Airlines told CNN in May 2025 that passengers using power banks would have to have them visible.
South Korea banned passengers from putting power banks and e-cigarettes in overhead storage on all of the country’s airlines. The ban came after a fire on an Air Busan plane that left three people injured in January 2025.
South Korea’s transport ministry said in a press release that a portable power bank was a possible source of the fire.
Lithium-ion batteries are used in common consumer electronics like phones and laptops. However, the chemicals in the battery are flammable.
If a battery is overcharged, gets too hot or has been damaged it can cause a chain reaction called a thermal runaway.
There has been 563 incidents involving smoke, fire or extreme heat related to lithium-ion batteries on flights between March 2006 and February 2026, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, with battery packs accounting for 230 of those.
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