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A Swiss Air Lines flight traveling over the Atlantic Ocean diverted after smoke from a power bank was reported in the cabin
The plane safely landed in Dublin after declaring an emergency and all 206 passengers were accommodated overnight
The incident comes nearly two weeks after a New York-bound flight from Zurich diverted to Maine after smoke emitted from a headphone charging case
An international flight traveling over the Atlantic Ocean was forced to make an emergency diversion after smoke was reported in the cabin.
On Sunday, Aug. 9, Swiss International Air Lines flight LX52 departed Zurich Airport in Switzerland around 6:30 p.m. local time, according to FlightAware. The plane, an Airbus A330-300, was scheduled to land at Boston Logan International Airport over eight hours later. However, while the aircraft was flying over the Atlantic, it was forced to make an emergency diversion to Ireland.
“The cockpit crew of flight LX52 from Zurich to Boston diverted to Dublin Airport in Ireland,” a Swiss Air Lines spokesperson confirmed in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “The reason was smoke on board, which was caused by a power bank.”
Dublin Airport in Ireland
Credit: Getty
They added that the crew immediately initiated a landing and declared an emergency so that the flight could be given air traffic control priority. The aircraft went on to land safely in Dublin after nearly five hours in the sky, per FlightAware.
The airline says it is actively working on travel arrangements for all 206 passengers on board. The affected passengers were accommodated in hotels for the night.
Experts will conduct a “thorough inspection” of the aircraft before it is transferred back to Zurich, the carrier says.
This isn’t the first incident involving smoke reported inside a Swiss aircraft in recent weeks.
On July 27, Swiss flight LX16 from Zurich to New York was forced to divert to the Bangor International Airport in central Maine after smoke was reported in the cabin, according to a company press release.
Headphone charging case determined to be the cause of smoke on a July 27 Swiss flight to New York.
Credit: Swiss.com
Investigators later determined the smoke was caused by a headphone charging case that “slipped into a seat and became jammed there.” This damaged the device, causing it to heat up and produce smoke.
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While the airline noted this smoke was caused by a small charging case with low battery capacity, they took the opportunity to remind passengers that full-size power banks carry a greater risk. The airline requires passengers to store their power banks on their person, in the seat pocket or in carry-on luggage stowed under the seat. The use of power banks is no longer permitted on Swiss flights, a change implemented at the beginning of the year.
In the U.S., the Federal Aviation Administration has reported 58 aviation incidents involving lithium batteries in cargo or baggage so far this year. Last year saw 97 incidents.
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