bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Laura Zhou

An Air China flight from Hangzhou to Seoul was forced to make an emergency landing in Shanghai on Saturday after a lithium battery caught fire in the plane’s cabin.
In a statement on social media, Air China confirmed the incident.
“On October 18, on flight CA139 from Hangzhou to Incheon, a lithium battery in a passenger’s carry-on luggage stored in the overhead compartment spontaneously ignited,” the airline said.
The crew handled the situation quickly and no one was injured, it added.
“To ensure flight safety”, the plane had to “make an unscheduled landing” at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
Air China indicated the flight took off on Saturday at 9.47am and had been scheduled to land at Incheon International Airport at 12.20pm.

A video clip circulating online, purportedly filmed by a passenger, showed travellers and crew trying to put out flames visible in an overhead compartment.
Passengers in the clip were heard shouting “hurry up” in Korean.
News portal Shanghai Observer cited a passenger as saying that a loud bang sounded before flames emanated from the overhead bin.
The incident is the latest in Asia to involve a lithium battery, a product that has drawn scrutiny for safety risks.
In May, a China Southern Airlines flight from Hangzhou to Shenzhen was forced to return to the airport 15 minutes after take-off after the crew found smoke emanating from a passenger’s camera battery and power bank.
In January, South Korea said a spare power bank was a possible cause of a fire that month that engulfed an Air Busan plane with 169 passengers and seven crew members. Seven people sustained minor injuries from the fire.
China has tightened its regulations on the use of lithium batteries and power banks on flights. As of June 28, power banks without Chinese safety certification markings are banned on domestic flights. Additionally, power banks that have been recently recalled by manufacturers are prohibited, and the use of power banks to charge electronic devices during flights is also forbidden.
This came months after Hong Kong’s civil aviation authorities announced a ban on using power banks during flights. As of April 7, power banks may not be stored in overhead compartments, and must instead be kept either under a seat or in a seat pocket.


New arts venues in Shenzhen and Guangzhou give Hongkongers more options for short visits

China warns internet platforms not to shift tax burden onto gig workers

Chinese consumer and tourism firms turn to shareholder perks to stimulate sales

Best things to eat in Chaoshan, China, a food paradise in Guangdong province

China travel

Battery fire aboard Air China flight to South Korea forces emergency landing

A video clip circulating online showed travellers and crew trying to put out a fire in an overhead compartment. Photo: Handout

Passengers aboard the Air China flight on Saturday were heard shouting “hurry up” in Korean. Photo: Handout

Chinese airlines formally oppose US plan to stop them flying over Russia on way to America

An Air China plane at Beijing Capital International Airport. Photo: Reuters

Passengers check in for a flight at Beijing Capital International Airport on October 1. Photo: Kyodo

Air India crash probe denies ‘manipulation’ amid captain’s father’s plea

The tail of Air India flight 171 is pictured after it crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad on June 12. Photo: AFP

Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, the father of a pilot who died when an Air India aircraft crashed during take-off from an airport, offers prayers as he stands next to the body of his son in Mumbai, India in June. Photo: Reuters

Sumeet Sabharwal was the pilot of the Air India plane that crashed. Photo: Handout

Chinese airlines may face higher costs if US ban on Russian airspace enforced: analysts

A Boeing 737 Max jet plane of Air China is parked at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, in July 2019. Photo: ImagineChina

Air China planes are seen parked on the tarmac at Beijing Capital Airport on March 27, 2020. Photo: AFP via Getty Images

Hydride ion battery breakthrough: Chinese team claims 6 times the capacity of lithium ion

Chinese scientists say they have created a new type of battery that might offer a safer alternative to conventional lithium-based batteries. Photo: CCTV

Battery fire aboard Air China flight to South Korea forces emergency landing

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}No injuries reported as plane departing Hangzhou for Seoul diverts to Shanghai

No injuries reported as plane departing Hangzhou for Seoul diverts to Shanghai