EasyJet Flight EZY2618 Diverts to Rome After Power Bank Found Charging at 36,000 Feet
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 24
EasyJet Flight EZY2618 Diverts to Rome After Power Bank Found Charging at 36,000 Feet
12 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 24
Flight EZY2618 from Hurghada to London Luton diverted to Rome Fiumicino on Tuesday night after a passenger told crew a power bank was charging in luggage in the aircraft hold.
EasyJet said the captain made the precautionary diversion in line with safety regulations; the plane turned over the Adriatic Sea nearly three hours into the flight and landed about 20 minutes later.
The aircraft landed safely with no reported issue from the power bank, and passengers disembarked routinely before the flight was rescheduled to Wednesday with hotels, meals and refreshments provided.
EasyJet allows up to two power banks of no more than 160Wh in cabin baggage only and bans their use for charging, reflecting wider airline restrictions on lithium-ion batteries.
Those rules have tightened after battery-fire incidents, including a 2025 South Korea plane fire linked to a portable power bank and new ICAO restrictions introduced in March.
As new rules ban more power banks from flights, is your essential travel gadget now a flight risk?
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