An Air China flight enroute to Incheon from Hangzhou diverted to Shanghai after a lithium-ion battery caught fire in the passenger cabin on 18 October 2025.
Air China flight CA139, operated by an Airbus A321-200, had departed Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH) at 09:47 local time.
Air China CA139 Hangzhou-Incheon
The flight, carrying 160 passengers and crew was a scheduled service bound for Incheon International Airport (ICN), Seoul.
Exactly 40 minutes into the flight, at FL330 over the East China Sea, smoke erupted from an overhead bin. A passenger’s carry-on lithium-ion battery entered thermal runaway, igniting into flames.
Cabin crew deployed fire extinguishers and were able to suppress the contain the outbreak.
With the aircraft equidistant from China and Japan over the East China Sea, flight crew elected to divert to Shanghai.
The flight landed without further incident Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) at 11:15 local time. Ground teams assisted deplaning and rebooking.
Airline Response and Investigation
Air China posted on Weibo: “On flight CA139 from Hangzhou to Incheon, a lithium battery in carry-on luggage spontaneously ignited in the overhead compartment.” The carrier praised crew protocols. All passengers reached Seoul via later flights.
China’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) will now lead an investigation into the incident. Focus areas include battery defect, damage, or rule breaches. Preliminary findings are expected next week.
This marks Air China’s second battery incident in 2025, per FAA global logs.
Lithium Battery Risks in Aviation
Lithium-ion batteries power laptops, power banks, and vapes. They risk thermal runaway, with uncontrolled heat releasing toxic gases like hydrogen fluoride.
The FAA recorded 38 U.S. flight fires in H1 2025 alone, with incidents rising 25% year-over-year.
Power banks pose a unique threat. Many airlines ban them outright in passenger compartments due to high-capacity risks (often 20,000mAh+).
Major carriers now enforce strict policies on carriage and use. Delta, United, and British Airways prohibit power banks >100Wh entirely—no carry-on or checked.
Air China requires that power banks must stay in hand luggage, visible, and unused mid-flight.
A 2024 IATA study found 60% of in-flight fires involved power banks. Bans reduce exposure by 40%, per simulations.
