On Sunday, 11 October 2026, a power bank explosion on an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Chennai caused panic among travellers. The fire broke out mid-flight and caused the plane to divert to Hyderabad.
IndiGo flight 6E6115 departed from Delhi at 1:30 pm and was scheduled to arrive at Chennai at 4:00 pm, using an Airbus A321-251N. However, some 1.5 hours into the flight, when the plane was flying at an altitude of 35,000 feet, an incident occurred. According to aviation tracker FlightAware, the plane started to descend to 3,700 feet before landing at Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at 3:30 pm.
The change of plans was provoked by a fire in the overhead luggage compartment, reportedly caused by a power bank explosion. In a video shared online, several panicking travellers can be seen trying to extinguish the flames.
An IndiGo flight operating from Delhi to Chennai reportedly made an emergency landing at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad after a passenger’s 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤 caught fire on board. The incident involved flight 6E6115, according to the sources. #IndiGo #ShamshabadAirport #Powerbank
— Sudhakar Udumula (@sudhakarudumula) October 11, 2026
“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. In line with established protocols, the pilots diverted the flight and landed safely at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad,” IndiGo said in a statement.
Once the plane had safely arrived at Hyderabad, an alternative plane was arranged to take the passengers to Chennai as was initially planned. No passengers or cabin crew got injured during the incident.
“We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers due to this unforeseen situation and are making all efforts to minimise it, including offering refreshments and sharing timely updates. At IndiGo, the safety of our customers and crew remains our top priority,” it added.
Power banks have been known to cause issues on planes, as their lithium-ion batteries can overheat or catch fire when they don’t function properly or get damaged. In order to avoid incidents, several airlines and aviation organisations have therefore introduced guidelines strictly regulating their use aboard a plane.
For example, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) all specify that portable electronic devices are to be kept in hand luggage, and those rules are being applied by an increasing number of airlines. Moreover, as charging lithium-ion batteries is even more prone to cause incidents, multiple airlines are prohibiting passengers from charging them during a flight. In order to know which regulations apply to their flight, passengers are invited to check the guidelines issued by their airline.
For example, Virgin Australia travellers must keep battery-powered items close onboard, and a maximum of two devices is allowed per person, which should not exceed 160Wh overall, with prior approval needed for power banks generating between 100Wh and 160Wh. Meanwhile, Dubai-based airline Emirates’ guidelines state that anyone travelling with a power bank will have to keep it close while in the air, while the use of the power banks onboard is prohibited. Moreover, China has banned uncertified power banks from domestic flights.
