Holiday Ayo - 

A dangerous mid-air incident occurred when an Air China flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Shanghai Pudong Airport after a lithium battery inside a passenger’s carry-on bag suddenly caught fire during the flight.

“During flight CA139, a lithium battery suddenly ignited inside a passenger’s carry-on bag,” the airline stated in an official post on its Weibo account on October 18.

According to Air China, the cabin crew acted swiftly in accordance with safety procedures. Thanks to their rapid response, no passengers or crew members were injured.

Photos shared by passengers showed flames erupting from the overhead luggage compartment, with several passengers assisting the cabin crew in extinguishing the fire before the situation was brought under control.

As a result of the incident, the aircraft — originally scheduled to fly from Hangzhou to Incheon International Airport, South Korea — was diverted and made an emergency landing in Shanghai.

Data from Flightradar24 revealed that flight CA139 took off at 9:47 a.m. local time and landed back in Shanghai at around 11:00 a.m., after circling over the sea to ensure flight safety before landing.

This incident once again highlights the serious risks associated with lithium batteries on aircraft, particularly when such items are not properly handled in accordance with international aviation safety regulations.