A scary few moments.
A Virgin Atlantic flight from New York to London was forced to make an emergency landing at Boston Airport after a fire broke out onboard.
It is believed that the fire was a result of a portable mobile phone charging bank overheating, which then led to a seat catching fire.
No serious injuries were sustained in the incident, and all 217 passengers were safely escorted off the plane.
“Preliminary investigation suggests it is a battery pack consistent in appearance with an external phone charger,” a police spokesman told reporters, according to the BBC.
In a statement, Virgin Atlantic said: “The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority and we are currently investigating to fully understand the circumstances.
“We’d like to thank our customers for their patience as we work with them to provide local accommodation or to rebook alternative flights to their final destination.”
Airlines do not allow power banks in the cargo luggage for the purpose of safety. Power banks are essentially batteries that use lithium cells.
Lithium batteries are more likely to combust, and are therefore prohibited for cargo transport, as part of air-transport regulations.
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