Indigo Delhi-Chennai flight fire: what are the rules for carrying power banks on planes

An Indigo flight travelling from Delhi to Chennai was forced to divert to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad on October 11, 2026, after a passenger’s power bank caught fire in an overhead baggage compartment.

According to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, the IndiGo flight 6E 6115 departed from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 1.30 p.m. and was scheduled to land at the Chennai International Airport at 4 p.m. There were around 180 passengers and seven crew members onboard, sources said

“IndiGo flight 6E 6115, operating from Delhi to Chennai on October 11, 2026, was diverted to Hyderabad after smoke was detected from a customer’s personal electronic device. The cabin crew responded promptly and the situation was brought under control,” Indigo said in a statement.

All passengers and crew members were reported safe with no injuries and Indigo arranged an alternative aircraft to transport the passengers onward to Chennai.

In nearly a year, this is at least the third incident of a power bank catching fire onboard an IndiGo aircraft. The flight was operated with an A321 aircraft, as per information from the Flightradar24.com.

Strict rules on portable chargers on flights

Under regulatory guidelines by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), strict rules govern the transportation of lithium-ion batteries and power banks to prevent dangerous incidents such as these.

According to the DGCA, most modern energy storage devices, including power banks, use lithium batteries due to their high energy density and efficiency. However, the widespread use of such batteries has raised potential safety risks.

Spare lithium-ion batteries and power banks must always be carried inside cabin baggage and are strictly prohibited in checked-in luggage.

The in-flight use of power banks, including recharging them using the aircraft’s power supply, has been barred, India’s civil aviation safety regulator said in its guidelines.

Air operators and airport authorities have also been instructed to reinforce safety risk management and crew training for lithium-ion fire procedures.

Under the updated Aircraft (Carriage of Dangerous Goods) Rules, 2025, non-compliance with safe transport guidelines and operating rules by individuals and corporates attracts severe financial penalties that can range up to crores depending on the severity level and scale of the organisation.

As per Indigo’s baggage policy, power banks and spare lithium batteries must be carried exclusively in hand baggage, kept within reach and restricted to a maximum of two devices per passenger (each not exceeding 160Wh), provided they are never used, charged or recharged during the flight.

How to safely carry power banks on flights

To minimise the risk of such accidents, aviation passengers should follow specific safety protocols. One should keep power banks in accessible places, such as under their seats, rather than stowing them in overhead bins. Passengers should also watch out for any unusual signs of a device becoming hot, swelling, emitting an odd smell or smoke. If any such incident occurs, one should immediately alert the cabin crew.

(With PTI inputs)