Screen grab of images shown on social media regarding the Air China cabin flame
Beijing: A commercial passenger flight has been safely diverted to Shanghai after a battery stowed in a passenger's carry-on luggage caught fire.
The airline operated by Air China said on Saturday that the incident occurred aboard the national carrier's daily flight from the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou to Incheon International Airport, near Seoul, South Korea.
According to a statement by the airline, a lithium battery spontaneously ignited in a passenger's carry-on luggage stored in the overhead bin on flight CA139.
The plane was diverted for an unscheduled landing at Shanghai Pudong International Airport to ensure flight safety, with the crew handling the situation according to procedures, and no one was injured.
Fire breaks out in the overhead luggage bin on board Air China flight CA139 while flying between Hangzhou and Seoul.
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) October 18, 2025
It is understood that the cause of the fire was a lithium battery in a passenger's luggage spontaneously combusting.
The cabin crew contained the fire and the… pic.twitter.com/IV5LEYxIy5
Bright flames were seen coming from an overhead storage compartment, and one passenger was seen trying to extinguish the blaze.
The flight made a complete turn from the eastern Chinese coast and Japan's southern island of Kyushu, landing in Shanghai shortly after 11am local time.
