WORLD.- One lithium battery caused a fire aboard a Air China flight that covered the route between Hangzhou (China) and Incheon (South Korea), forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Shanghai.
The incident revived concerns about the risks associated with transporting lithium batteries on commercial flights.
What happened to the lithium battery on Air China flight CA139?
The ship Airbus A321 I had to make a trip of almost 900 kilometers in distance and two hours long. However, suddenly a lithium battery caught fire and caused an explosion in the luggage compartment.
Air China confirmed the incident on its official account. Weibo -Chinese equivalent of
A video shared on social media showed the fire visible in the luggage compartment and smoke emanating from it, with passengers and crew trying to put it out and shouts of “Hurry!” in Korean, noted the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post.
A passenger who told local media that a loud explosion was heard before flames began to be seen coming out of the compartment.
#BREAKING | NEWS
Update today an air China flight (#CA139) from Hangzhou to Incheon was forced to make an emergency landing in Shanghai, China after a lithium battery in a passengers overhead bag exploded and caught fire.The aircraft was able to safely land after the… pic.twitter.com/8UKtHbWsk5
— Todd Paron
(@tparon) October 19, 2025
Why are lithium batteries dangerous in flights?
Las lithium batteriescommonly used in phones, laptops and power banks, can represent a fire risk when they overheatthey get damaged or have internal faults. In pressurized cabins, the risk is increased due to altitude and storage in closed compartments.
This is not an isolated case. In recent years, some fires caused by lithium batteries have been reported on commercial flights, prompting several countries (including South Korea) to tighten regulations on their air transport.
Since April, Hong Kong does not allow storing portable batteries in the overhead luggage compartments. Two months later, China banned boarding on a plane with that type of devices if they do not have the national quality certificate, also restricting their use during the flight.
READ: Cargo plane from Dubai skids off the runway and falls into the sea in Hong Kong
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