Air China A321 diverts after lithium‑battery fire in overhead bin on Hangzhou–Seoul flight

An Air China Airbus A321 (flight CA139) diverted to Shanghai‑Pudong on 18 October after a passenger‑carried lithium‑ion battery spontaneously ignited in an overhead bin about 40 minutes after departure from Hangzhou bound for Seoul. Crew extinguished the fire and no injuries were reported.

Discovered 2025-10-18T02:36:02.621297-07:00 | 2025-10-18T02:36:02.621297-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • Immediate operational and safety impact: the A321 (CA139) diverted to Shanghai‑Pudong ~40 minutes after departure; crew extinguished a battery fire in an overhead locker and there were no injuries — another diversion driven by passenger‑carried lithium batteries (see an earlier American A321 diversion: https://hype.aero/?story=66b0d040-612d-4120-8c5c-4425b1aac033).
  • Fits a growing pattern prompting regulatory and carrier action: recent FAA guidance and tests flag a surge of lithium‑ion battery smoke/fire incidents and show everyday devices can ignite catastrophically, underpinning tightened crew procedures and enforcement (see the FAA safety alert: https://hype.aero/?story=e13e8a45-d98c-4d07-81ce-84fb57bafb47 and FAA test results: https://hype.aero/?story=ba69038f-b8d8-4e77-9da7-eaa15ec75852).

Reported By

Travel Radar aex.ru webpronews.com aerotexts.com The Independent aero.de
Sources Tracked
40
First Seen
2025-10-18T02:36:02.621297-07:00
Latest Update
2025-10-22T03:08:41.797406-07:00
Coverage
Aviation

Sources

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