Power bank catches fire on flight to Singapore

A power bank caught fire on a Scoot flight from Taipei to Singapore, injuring two passengers on board. Flight TR933 was just beginning its journey from Taipei’s Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Singapore Changi Airport yesterday evening when the power bank overheated, causing pandemonium.

The Scoot flight was forced to return to the gate before takeoff due to a fire caused by a power bank belonging to a customer. Multiple people caught the incident on video and through photos posted to social media. The posts showed thick smoke in the cabin and lights going out on board the aircraft, as well as passengers panicking when they saw flames coming from the back of the cabin.

The flight was travelling from Taipei to Singapore when the incident occurred but was taxiing to the runway before takeoff, scheduled for 7.35pm yesterday. The aircraft safely returned to the gate and the incident did not affect flight operations at Taoyuan Airport. Channel News Asia reported that the airline put out a statement after the cabin fire.

“Scoot flight TR993, operating from Taipei to Singapore on January 10, returned to the gate after a rechargeable power bank belonging to a customer overheated while the aircraft was on the ground. Scoot sincerely apologises for the incident. The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority. We are rescheduling the flight and will provide affected passengers with accommodation and meals.”

According to the airline, the owner of the power bank and their companion suffered minor burns to their fingers and received medical assistance. Authorities at the airport dispatched firefighters to the plane to ensure that the flames from the power bank were fully extinguished before the aircraft was allowed to return to the gate.