A China Southern Airlines flight from Hangzhou to Shenzhen was forced to return to the airport 15 minutes after take-off on Saturday after the crew found smoke coming from a passenger’s camera battery and power bank.
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According to a social media post by the airline, the camera batteries and power bank of a passenger on board flight CZ6850 started to produce smoke soon after taking off.
“The crew handled it properly and quickly eliminated the safety risk. To ensure safety, the flight immediately returned to the airport, and landed safely 15 minutes after take-off,” the airline said.
The company reminded passengers to strictly abide by civil aviation safety regulations and to properly carry and use batteries and power banks. It also promised to help affected passengers.
According to a video clip posted by Beijing Youth Daily, the cabin was filled with thick smoke. Some passengers were passing bottles of water to a flight attendant who was trying to put out the smoke and calm the passengers.
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Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department banned the use of power banks during flights starting on April 7. Passengers should keep power banks under their seats or in the pocket in front of them, as they are no longer allowed to store power banks in overhead compartments.
However, the Hong Kong aviation regulator stopped short of outright banning the batteries from carry-on luggage.
