Hurghada-London Flight Diverted to Rome over Power Bank

An EasyJet flight from the Egyptian resort of Hurghada to London was diverted to Rome after the crew discovered a charging power bank in the hold. The aircraft landed in the Italian capital as a precautionary measure and did not complete its journey until the following day.

The captain decided to reroute "in line with safety regulations" after alerting the passenger during the flight, the airline said. The aircraft was at that point at 36,000 feet above the Adriatic Sea.

EasyJet said there was no technical problem with the power bank itself, but that regulations prohibit charging devices in the hold due to the risk of overheating or fire posed by lithium-ion batteries.

The airline reminded passengers that power banks may only be carried in hand luggage and must not be used to charge other devices during the flight. Other carriers, including Ryanair and British Airways, have introduced similar rules.

Stricter restrictions on power banks were introduced by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a UN body, following a number of incidents. Earlier this year in South Korea, a power bank is believed to have caused a fire that destroyed a transport aircraft.

(bbc, bak)