IndiGo flight 6E 6115 from Delhi to Chennai diverted to Hyderabad on 11 October after a power bank kept in an overhead bin caught fire, Livemint reports1. Around 180 passengers and seven crew were on board1. The aircraft landed safely at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, where arrangements were being made for an alternate aircraft to continue the journey to Chennai2. Times Now said there were no reports of injuries in the information provided about the incident3.

IndiGo said in a statement that "the cabin crew responded promptly and the situation was brought under control"4. It added: "In line with established protocols, the pilots diverted the flight and landed safely at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad."1 NDTV describes a 36-second clip from inside the cabin in which passengers first try to put the fire out with their bags, although the angle does not show who eventually put it out; NDTV reports that the cabin crew used a fire extinguisher4. The Times of India reports that the crew put the device in water before the diversion5. The Hindustan Times, which described visuals of smoke from an overhead bin, said it could not independently verify the authenticity of the video2. The Indian Express reports that authorities have launched an investigation6.

Why the overhead bin matters

India's regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued a dangerous goods advisory circular that bars passengers from using power banks to charge devices in flight, and keeps power banks and spare batteries out of overhead bins47. The Economic Times quotes the reasoning in the circular: batteries in overhead bins or carry-on bags "may be obscured, difficult to access, or not readily monitored by passengers or crew members", which "may result in delayed detection of smoke or fire and response actions"7. Airlines must also tell passengers to "immediately inform cabin crew if any device emits heat, smoke or an unusual odour" and report lithium battery incidents to the DGCA7. IndiGo's own baggage policy, as cited by NDTV, says power banks "must remain within the passenger's personal reach at all times"4. The sources differ on when the circular was issued: NDTV and The Indian Express say November 2025, while The Times of India refers to a circular issued in January 2026468.

Not the first IndiGo battery fire

On 5 May, IndiGo flight 6E 108 from Hyderabad to Chandigarh was evacuated after a passenger's power bank caught fire after landing9. Sources within the DGCA told India Today that the power bank had been in a pouch in the seat pocket, and that the cabin crew used two bottles of fire extinguisher and deployed all six emergency slides9. Reports on injuries differ: India Today said one passenger was injured during the evacuation, while The Times of India, citing airport officials, said six passengers were injured and taken to hospital98. In October 2025, a power bank stored in a seat-back pocket caught fire on IndiGo flight 6E 2107 from Delhi to Dimapur while taxiing, an incident the airline said was "controlled within seconds"10.

What the guidance tells crews to do

IndiGo has not said which procedure its crew followed. In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration's Advisory Circular 120-80B sets out recommended crew procedures for what it calls high-energy fires caused by lithium batteries11. It defines thermal runaway as "rapid self-sustained heating of a battery cell" and says operator procedures and training should cover three basic concepts: recognising overheat indicators, extinguishing the fire with the appropriate extinguisher, and "cooling, containing, and monitoring procedures as the final steps"11. Warning signs include discoloured screens, smoking, a device that is expanding or swelling, or one that is "simply being hot to the touch"11. To fight the fire, crews clear occupants from the area, put on protective equipment such as gloves or protective breathing equipment, and use a halon or water extinguisher11.

Once the flames are out, the circular says crews should cool the device with water or nonalcoholic liquids and let it rest without touching it for at least 10 to 15 minutes11. The device then goes into a container filled with water or nonalcoholic liquid so that it is completely submerged, and crews monitor it for the remainder of the flight while giving status updates to the pilot in command11. The FAA warns crews not to cover the device or use ice to cool it: "Ice or other materials insulate the device, increasing the likelihood that additional battery cells will reach TR."11 For an in-flight fire, the circular says the flight crew should immediately don oxygen masks with the regulator at 100 per cent and plan for an immediate descent and landing at the nearest suitable airport11.

The rules passengers fly under

Under IATA's passenger guidance, last revised in 2019, power banks are considered spare batteries and are restricted to carry-on baggage, with each battery protected against short circuits12. Spare batteries up to 100 Wh need no operator approval, while those between 100 and 160 Wh are limited to two per passenger and require the airline's approval12. New ICAO specifications that took effect on 27 March 2026 limit power banks to two per passenger and prohibit passengers from recharging them during flights, although crew can continue to carry and use power banks for operational needs13. IndiGo's policy, according to NDTV, allows a maximum of two spare lithium-ion batteries, including power banks, rated up to 100 Wh, and bars recharging them or using them to charge another device on board4.

What this means for crews and passengers

The sequence reported so far matches the division of tasks in the guidance: the cabin crew dealt with the burning device and the pilots diverted, a decision IndiGo said was in line with established protocols14. The Times of India points to a wider gap: cabin bags collected at the gate and loaded into the hold may contain power banks, and a fire there "won't even get detected easily", an issue the paper says the aviation ministry is aware of5. After the Chandigarh evacuation, Vandana Singh of the Federation of Aviation Industry in India told NDTV that "airlines must also ensure that crew members are well-trained to respond swiftly to any battery-related incidents onboard"4. For passengers, the rules point the same way: keep power banks in the cabin and within reach, do not charge devices with them in flight, and tell the crew at once if a device gets hot or smokes713.