IndiGo power bank fire diversion followed by fresh baggage incident and restrictions

IndiGo flight 6E 6115 was travelling from Delhi to Chennai on October 11 when smoke from a passenger's electronic device prompted a diversion to Hyderabad, according to India News.

Initial coverage described the device differently. India Today identified a power bank fire, while Mint quoted IndiGo as saying smoke had been detected from a passenger's personal electronic device. The airline's wording was less specific about what had caught fire.

On October 11, Mint reported that the cabin crew brought the situation under control and the pilots diverted to Hyderabad. India News reported a safe landing at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

Coverage that day also turned to the rules for carrying portable chargers. According to NDTV India, IndiGo allows power banks and spare or loose lithium batteries only in hand baggage. They must remain within the passenger's personal reach at all times.

On October 12, The Hindu reported that the power bank had caught fire in an overhead bin. That detail matters because the airline's policy requires the device to remain within personal reach, not merely somewhere in the cabin.

Adnkronos - ultimoratop reported on October 12 that the crew intervened, the aircraft landed safely and no injuries were recorded.

By October 14, the coverage had widened beyond the original flight. NDTV Top Stories reported that an IndiGo Hyderabad to Srinagar flight returned after a power bank was found in baggage. Separately, The Hindu reported that the DGCA had banned specific power banks on flights.

The Delhi to Chennai flight landed safely, but the supplied coverage does not establish what caused the power bank to catch fire. It also does not provide a final investigation finding.

The latest restriction is described as applying to specific power banks, not every portable charger. The Hindu reported that the DGCA also advised airlines to take appropriate measures to identify and prevent carriage of the specified power bank. The supplied report does not identify the affected product.

The immediate practical question is which power banks the DGCA restriction covers and how airlines will identify them. The available summary of The Hindu report does not give those details, so it cannot support a product checklist for travellers.

Another unresolved question is the cause of the original fire. Reports locating the device in an overhead bin establish where it was, but do not establish why it ignited.