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An Air China passenger flight was forced to make an emergency diversion to Shanghai on Saturday after a lithium battery packed in a passenger’s carry-on bag caught fire mid-flight, the airline confirmed.
The incident took place on Flight CA139, which had departed from the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou and was bound for Incheon International Airport near Seoul, South Korea.
In a statement posted on Chinese social media platform Weibo, Air China said, “A lithium battery spontaneously ignited in a passenger’s carry-on luggage stored in the overhead bin on flight CA139.”
“The crew immediately handled the situation according to standard procedures, and no one was injured,” the airline added. It explained that the aircraft diverted to Shanghai Pudong International Airport to ensure passenger safety.
Photos shared by domestic media outlet Jimu News showed flames emerging from an overhead compartment, with thick black smoke filling the cabin.
One passenger was seen attempting to put out the fire as the crew worked to contain it.
Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 indicated that the aircraft took off from Hangzhou at 9:47 am local time.
The plane later made a turn over the sea between China’s eastern coastline and Japan’s southern island of Kyushu before landing safely in Shanghai shortly after 11 am.
The cause of the battery’s ignition remains under investigation, though lithium batteries have long been recognised as a fire risk when carried onboard if damaged or overheated.
