Lufthansa flight to Lisbon diverted after power bank catches fire

Just days after a KLM flight was forced to turn back due to a burning power bank, a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Lisbon was diverted to France after an external battery caught fire in mid-air.

Cabin crew secure burning battery during Frankfurt-Lisbon flight

An Airbus A321-200 carrying 198 passengers and six crew members from Frankfurt airport to Lisbon was forced to make an emergency landing in Lyon on Saturday evening when a passenger’s power bank caught fire near a seat.

Cabin crew reacted swiftly to neutralise the hazard, placing the smoking power bank into a specialised containment bag designed for lithium battery fires. A spokesperson for the German airline told dpa that no one on board was injured. "The safety of our passengers and crews remains Lufthansa's top priority at all times," the airline said in a statement.

Despite the crew managing the situation immediately, the pilot elected to divert to Lyon as a precaution. The flight landed without further incident, and passengers spent the night in local hotels before resuming their journey to Lisbon on Sunday morning. 

Rules on carrying & charging power banks on Lufthansa flights

Anyone preparing for a holiday from Germany should take note: since January, Lufthansa has strictly banned the use and charging of external batteries on board its aircraft. While passengers are still permitted to carry up to two power banks in their cabin baggage subject to safety guidelines, plugging devices into them during a flight is prohibited.

Lithium-ion batteries pose a known thermal runaway risk, which is why aviation authorities require them to be kept in hand luggage rather than checked baggage. This ensures cabin crew can respond immediately with specialised fire containment equipment if a device overheats or catches fire.