Two passengers suffer minor injuries after power bank fire on Scoot flight
The incident took place as the aircraft was taxiing for departure at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport.
Two passengers have suffered minor injuries after a power bank overheated and caught fire onboard Scoot flight TR993 from Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN). The incident took place as the Airbus A320neo, registered as 9V-TNE, was taxiing to the runway for departure on January 10th.
Firefighters were immediately called, and the aircraft returned to stand, where all passengers disembarked without further incident. According to Scoot, two of those onboard – the owner of the power bank and his travel companion – suffered “minor burns to their fingers,” and medical assistance was provided to them at the airport, although hospital treatment was not required.
Photos and videos of the incident have since circulated on social media, showing the cabin filled with smoke and flight attendants keeping passengers away from the fire.
Scoot’s fleet is made up of 60 aircraft, including 20 Boeing 787s. The carrier’s Airbus A320neos, like the aircraft involved in Tuesday’s incident, carry 186 passengers in an all-economy layout.
In a statement issued to Channel NewsAsia, Scoot said, “Scoot sincerely apologizes for the incident. The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority. Investigations into the incident are underway. We are rescheduling the flight and will provide affected passengers with accommodation and meals.”
Power banks – the risks and regulations
IATA regulations stipulate that power banks must be packed in carry-on baggage, where they can be easily accessed if needed. The same applies to e-cigarettes and spare lithium batteries. However, safety events involving the devices are becoming more and more frequent.
Just last month, Russian carrier Ural Airlines suffered a similar incident onboard one of its Airbus A321s when a power bank exploded onboard just prior to take-off at Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME).
Scoot, a low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, commenced operations in June 2012. In July 2017, it merged with fellow low-cost carrier Tigerair, adopting its air operator’s certificate (AOC) and IATA code (TR), but retaining the Scoot brand and callsign. Today the airline operates flights to 58 destinations across Asia, Europe, and Australia, including Athens (ATH), Sydney (SYD), and Jeddah (JED).