US EditionAir China flight safely diverted to Shanghai after battery fire in cabin
- On October 18, Air China diverted a passenger flight to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, landing shortly after 11am with no injuries reported, officials said.
- A lithium battery in a carry-on spontaneously ignited in an overhead bin, and the crew quickly contained it, prompting an unscheduled landing at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
- A passenger image showed bright flames in an overhead bin and black smoke filled the cabin as at least one passenger tried to extinguish the blaze, while passengers shouted in Korean.
- Scheduled arrival at Incheon International Airport was disrupted after Flightradar24 recorded the flight’s 9.47am departure from Hangzhou, forcing a route change.
- Air China confirmed the incident in a social media post, and media outlets published images and timelines on October 18, 2025.
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64 Articles
Air China's Hangzhou-Seoul flight had to be diverted on Saturday, 18 October, after a lithium battery was burned in a cabin baggage. The crew's rapid intervention made it possible to safely put all passengers in the air.
Battery fire breaks out on Air China flight
An Air China flight was forced to make an emergency landing Saturday after a lithium battery in a passenger’s carry-on luggage spontaneously ignited, Chinese state media reported. The flight from Hangzhou, China to Incheon, South Korea was diverted to Shanghai’s Pudong airport.
The fire was quickly extinguished, and no one on board was injured.
Viral video: Panic mid-air as Air China flight diverts after passenger’s lithium battery bursts into flames
A lithium battery caught fire in the overhead bin of Air China CA139 mid-flight, forcing an emergency diversion to Shanghai, while a video of the incident has gone viral online.
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