An overheated power bank caught fire onboard Scoot flight Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) as the aircraft was taxiing to runway for departure. The owner of the power bank and his co-traveller suffered minor burns to their fingers and medical assistance was provided immediately, Scoot said in a statement.
The aircraft was immediately taken to stand, firefighters were called and all the passengers were safely disembarked without further incident.
Photos and videos of the incident have since circulated on social media, showing the cabin filled with smoke and flight attendants keeping passengers away from the fire.
Meanwhile the airline has apologized for the unfortunate incident and rescheduled the flight.
IATA safety regulations say that power banks must be packed in carry-on baggage, where they can be easily accessed if needed. The same applies to e-cigarettes and spare lithium batteries. However, safety events involving the devices are becoming more and more frequent.
Just last month, Ural Airlines suffered a similar incident onboard one of its Airbus A321s, when a power bank exploded onboard just prior to take-off at Moscow Domodedovo Airport.