A KLM Boeing 777-300ER operating flight KL735 from Amsterdam Schiphol to Curaçao returned to the Netherlands on Thursday, 17 September, after a power bank caught fire in the cabin while the aircraft was flying over the Atlantic Ocean. The aircraft, registered PH-BVP, had departed Amsterdam at 13:21 local time, according to flight tracking data, bound for Willemstad.
After several hours in flight, the cabin crew managed to extinguish the fire. No injuries were reported. The captain subsequently decided to return to Schiphol as a precaution, with the aircraft landing back in Amsterdam after more than five hours in the air.
Dutch media have reported that the power bank belonged to former KLM president and CEO Camiel Eurlings. KLM has not confirmed the identity of the passenger, citing privacy reasons. The airline has started an investigation into the incident.
KLM’s current rules state that passengers may carry a maximum of two power banks, which must be kept with the passenger rather than in an overhead compartment. The airline also explicitly prohibits the use or charging of power banks on board.
The incident highlights the continuing risks associated with lithium-ion batteries and power banks in aircraft cabins. Airlines and aviation authorities have introduced increasingly strict requirements for carrying and using such devices following a number of battery-related incidents in recent years.