Power Bank Fires on KLM and Lufthansa Flights Test Europe’s New Cabin Rules

Two European airliners were forced to change course in September because of lithium-ion power bank fires, a reminder that rules introduced earlier in 2026 reduce risk but do not remove it.

Lufthansa LH1170 diverts to Lyon

On 26 September 2026, Lufthansa flight LH1170 from Frankfurt to Lisbon landed in Lyon after a passenger’s power bank caught fire at seat level, borncity reported. The aircraft was an Airbus A321-200, registered D-AISB. It departed at 20:47 and landed at 21:55.

Smoke reached the cockpit, and the crew declared a mayday to speed up the landing. Cabin crew placed the burning device in a lithium safety bag. All 198 passengers and six crew got off without injury once firefighters cleared the aircraft, and passengers were rebooked.

KLM turns back over the Atlantic

Earlier in the month, a KLM Boeing 777 bound for Curaçao turned back to Amsterdam Schiphol after a power bank overheated, smoked and then burst into flames in the business class cabin at around 30,000 feet, according to Aviation News EU. The report, dated 18 September, describes a loud bang and visible damage to a cabin window and surrounding trim. The aircraft returned safely.

An aviation safety specialist quoted in the report said cabin crew are trained to handle thermal runaway immediately using fire containment bags, which limits the risk of a fire spreading at altitude. AeroInside’s September log lists both events, together with another power bank thermal runaway on a Mexican carrier’s 737 MAX early in the month.

The rules already in place

The incidents came after a tightening of the regulatory picture. The International Civil Aviation Organization announced restrictions on power banks that took effect on 27 March 2026: a maximum of two devices per traveller and a ban on charging them during a flight. Crew members may continue to carry and use them in line with operational requirements, according to Centre for Aviation.

EASA’s Safety Information Bulletin 2025-03, issued in May 2025, had already asked operators to limit in-flight use and to improve early detection of thermal runaway. It recommends that portable devices be kept to 100 Wh, or 160 Wh with operator approval, and that power banks be carried where they can be monitored, never in checked baggage.

Lufthansa Group tightened its own policy in January 2026. Airways magazine lists Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Eurowings, Brussels Airlines, Discover, Edelweiss and Air Dolomiti as covered. Passengers may carry two power banks of up to 100 Wh, may not use or charge them in flight, and must keep them out of overhead bins. The policy followed a January 2025 Air Busan A321 fire in South Korea, which started in an overhead locker and injured 27 people during the evacuation.

What the September events show

Both flights ended without injury, which suggests the layered approach of banning use, keeping devices visible and equipping crews with containment bags is working as intended. The LH1170 fire, however, started in the seating area even though Lufthansa’s rules prohibit use in flight, and the airline has not said whether the device was in use.

Detection and containment are likely to remain the focus. Regulators have so far stopped short of banning power banks from cabins altogether, which would be difficult to enforce given how many passengers carry them. Expect airlines and regulators to keep watching these cases for evidence of whether further limits are needed.