Latest news with #AirservicesAustralia
Gizmodo
24-07-2025
- Gizmodo
Fire on Virgin Airlines Flight Linked to Power Bank in Passenger's Bag
Did a power bank start a fire on a recent Virgin flight? That's the question investigators are currently trying to answer, as they probe an incident in Australia where a woman's bag burst into flames. The incident, which involved a flight from Sydney, took place around 9 a.m. on Monday, just as the plane was descending to its destination, the New York Times reports. After the bag burst into flames, the plane's cabin filled with smoke, according to reports. The plane's crew managed to put out the fire before the plane landed, the Times writes. The newspaper notes that the fire is 'believed to have been ignited by a portable battery inside the bag, although the cause remains under investigation.' A Virgin spokesperson told The Guardian: 'Safety is always our highest priority. We appreciate the swift and professional response of our flight and cabin crew, as well as the support of Airservices Australia firefighters.' It's unknown which power bank device was in the overhead bin. Gizmodo reached out to the airline for more information. Power banks, portable chargers for your cell phone or other devices, have been the cause of many previous in-flight fires. They are often powered by lithium batteries, which, again, could be the culprit here. A fire at a Korean airport that took place in January was blamed on one such device. Virgin apparently told the Times that it was 'reviewing its policy, which allows passengers to take power banks onboard, in light of the fire on Monday.' Why do lithium batteries catch fire? Science tells us that batteries that overheat can 'crack,' which then causes highly flammable liquid inside the battery to spill out and catch fire once exposed to the air. Fires started by lithium batteries aren't exactly a daily occurrence, but, more and more, they're not exactly rare either. Recently released FAA data shows that in-flight fires spurred by the batteries have skyrocketed over the past ten years, spiking some 388 percent, according to one analysis. Since 2006, there have been 636 verified incidents involving lithium batteries, the agency says. A majority of those incidents have involved a battery pack, a cell phone, or a laptop, although a significant number have also involved e-cigarettes or vapes.
New York Post
23-07-2025
- General
- New York Post
Fire breaks out mid-air and fills cabin with smoke on Virgin Australia flight
This is the horrifying moment a fire erupted mid-air on a Virgin Australia flight bound for Tasmania. Flight VA158, which departed from Sydney on Monday morning, had begun its descent into Hobart just after 9am when smoke began filling the cabin of the Boeing 737-8FE. Advertisement According to witnesses on board, the crew opened an overhead compartment and discovered a lithium battery engulfed in flames. Footage of the incident shows passengers scrambling to the back of the plane as a distressed flight attendant yells: 'All the way down to the back guys, keep moving, quicker.' 3 The crew opened an overhead compartment and discovered a lithium battery engulfed in flames. Pulse Tasmania Another clip shows passengers passing bottles of water to a crew member as they attempt to contain the blaze. Advertisement Witnesses reveal that cabin crew were eventually able to extinguish the fire successfully with water bottles after initial attempts with on-board fire extinguishes were unsuccessful. According to Pulse Tasmania, passengers described a moment of panic and were told not to film the incident by staff. Once the flight had safely landed in Hobart, Airservices Australia firefighters boarded the plane and removed the bag containing the battery. Advertisement Hobart Airport COO Matt Cocker told Pulse that one person had received medical attention by paramedics for suspected smoke inhalation. 3 Witnesses reveal that cabin crew were eventually able to extinguish the fire successfully. Helena Bilkova – 'The outbound Virgin flight back to Sydney is currently delayed, however all other operations at Hobart Airport are running as usual,' he said. In a statement to Virgin ensured flight and cabin crew were checked over by paramedics as a precaution and subsequently cleared. Advertisement 'VA1528 from Sydney to Hobart landed safely at Hobart Airport yesterday (Monday) following a fire in an overhead locker during descent. 'The fire was extinguished by Virgin Australia cabin crew prior to landing. Airservices Australia firefighters attended the aircraft once it landed and removed a bag from the overhead locker. All guests disembarked the aircraft, as per standard operating procedures. 3 Passengers were passing bottles of water to a crew member to try and extinguish the flames. Pulse Tasmania 'Safety is always our highest priority. We appreciate the swift and professional response of our flight and cabin crew, as well as the support of Airservices Australia firefighters,' they said. A replacement aircraft was sourced for the return flight for Sydney and Virgin's guest contact center is in the process of checking in with guests seated in the surrounding rows. The incident comes after a passenger plane in South Korea caught fire earlier this year, leaving three people with minor injuries. Local authorities believe a portable power bank likely caused the fire that destroyed the plane.
The Independent
22-07-2025
- The Independent
Fire breaks out on Virgin Australia plane mid-flight likely due to power bank
A fire broke out on a Hobart -bound Virgin Australia flight mid-air reportedly from a passenger's power bank inside the overhead cabin. Flight VA1528, which departed from Sydney, was beginning its descent into Hobart about 9am on Monday when the fire started in an overhead locker, according to reports. The cabin crew reportedly found a lithium battery on fire after they opened the overhead compartment following complaints of a smell of smoke. Passengers told local media that flames leapt out of the locker, which triggered panic and prompted some travellers to jump out of their seats. The crew extinguished the fire before landing and removed the bag once the plane landed. The plane landed safely at Hobart Airport after the incident, a Virgin Australia spokesperson said in a statement. 'All guests disembarked the aircraft, as per standard operating procedures,' the spokesperson said. "Safety is always our highest priority. We appreciate the swift and professional response of our flight and cabin crew, as well as the support of Airservices Australia firefighters." The crew members were assessed by paramedics upon landing. Matt Cocker, the chief operating officer of Hobart Airport, said one person received medical attention for suspected smoke inhalation. 'The outbound Virgin flight back to Sydney is currently delayed; however, all other operations at Hobart Airport are running as usual,' he said. A series of incidents globally involving lithium battery products, including power banks, overheating on planes, have prompted authorities to tighten rules on power banks. In January this year, South Korea said that a spare power bank was the possible cause of a fire that had engulfed a Busan Air flight to Hong Kong. Aviation rules generally say power banks should be carried in cabin baggage, but increasingly airlines are banning their use on board and say they must be kept within view to spot any problems. Lithium batteries in devices such as laptops, mobile phones, electronic cigarettes, and power banks can produce smoke, fire or extreme heat when manufacturing faults or damage cause them to short-circuit. They are a growing concern for aviation safety as passengers carry more battery-powered items on flights. Last year, the US Federal Aviation Administration recorded three incidents of lithium batteries overheating on planes every two weeks globally compared to just under one a week in 2018. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission witnessed a 92 per cent increase in reported incidents involving lithium-ion batteries in 2022, according to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. In June 2024, A Melbourne-bound Virgin Australia flight made an emergency landing at a New Zealand airport after a fire shut down one of its engines. The flight was diverted to Invercargill, nearly 200km from Queenstown, after one of the engines caught fire due to a "possible bird strike", the airline said.
Sydney Morning Herald
22-07-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
How the proposed flight path changes will affect your suburb
Airservices Australia has released a proposal for changes to flight paths to and from Brisbane Airport to reduce the impacts of aircraft noise on Brisbane's suburbs. The flight path options, which are open for community feedback until August 17, include distributing flights more evenly over a wider area and reducing the concentration of flights over suburbs already being flooded with both arrival and departure, and day and night flights. The Noise Action Plan for Brisbane was developed to address complaints following the introduction of Brisbane Airport's parallel runway in July 2020. But the Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance has criticised the latest proposal, warning it would result in more communities being exposed to aircraft noise, many for the first time. Alliance spokesperson Marcus Foth said the proposal did not offer a real solution, with 'no night-time curfew, no flight cap, and no credible plan for genuine net noise reductions'. Here is what the proposed flight path changes would mean for your area: North and west With both arrivals and departures tracking over similar areas, there are many communities to the north-west of the Brisbane Airport that do not experience periods of respite, even when wind conditions change.
The Age
22-07-2025
- General
- The Age
How the proposed flight path changes will affect your suburb
Airservices Australia has released a proposal for changes to flight paths to and from Brisbane Airport to reduce the impacts of aircraft noise on Brisbane's suburbs. The flight path options, which are open for community feedback until August 17, include distributing flights more evenly over a wider area and reducing the concentration of flights over suburbs already being flooded with both arrival and departure, and day and night flights. The Noise Action Plan for Brisbane was developed to address complaints following the introduction of Brisbane Airport's parallel runway in July 2020. But the Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance has criticised the latest proposal, warning it would result in more communities being exposed to aircraft noise, many for the first time. Alliance spokesperson Marcus Foth said the proposal did not offer a real solution, with 'no night-time curfew, no flight cap, and no credible plan for genuine net noise reductions'. Here is what the proposed flight path changes would mean for your area: North and west With both arrivals and departures tracking over similar areas, there are many communities to the north-west of the Brisbane Airport that do not experience periods of respite, even when wind conditions change.
