Lufthansa flight to Lisbon diverted to Lyon due to burning power bank

A Lufthansa passenger plane was diverted to Lyon, France, on its way from Frankfurt to Lisbon because of a burning power bank. The device belonged to a passenger and caught fire in the area of ​​a seat on Saturday evening, the company confirmed at the dpa's request after RTL and "Bild" had previously reported on the incident.

The crew of Lufthansa flight LH1170 secured the power bank in a so-called lithium safe bag intended for this purpose. For safety reasons, she decided to divert to Lyon, where the plane landed safely at around 10 p.m. The 198 passengers and six crew members were accommodated in hotels for the night and rebooked on alternative flight connections to Lisbon for the following day.

It was the second incident this weekend with a Lufthansa plane from Frankfurt. Also on Saturday, a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Toronto with 371 passengers on board turned around via Scotland for safety reasons and landed in Manchester. The reason was a smell in the cabin, as the company announced.

These regulations apply to power banks on aircraft

Many travelers carry power banks with them so that they can charge their smartphones when there is no power outlet nearby. However, charging and using power banks has been prohibited on Lufthansa Group flights since the beginning of the year. There is an exception for the use of approved medical devices.

For safety reasons, power banks and e-cigarettes are not allowed to be transported in checked baggage on Lufthansa and many other airlines. With the Lufthansa Group, they may not be stored in the overhead compartments above the seats as hand luggage, but only in the seat pocket of the seat in front, on your own body or in hand luggage under the seat.