Quick summary
A power bank caught fire in the business-class cabin of KLM flight KL735 on September 17, 2026, forcing the Boeing 777-300 to abandon its Amsterdam–Curaçao crossing and return to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol roughly five and a half hours after departure. KLM confirmed at least one person sustained minor injuries — though a Dutch report disputes this — and the airline restated that charging power banks in the cabin is not permitted on its aircraft.
Whether the device was actively charging when it ignited remains unconfirmed; KLM was still investigating that detail as of the airline’s statement. Affected passengers were rebooked and reached Curaçao the following day.
A passenger’s power bank went into thermal runaway in the business-class cabin of KLM‘s KL735 service to Curaçao last Wednesday, scorching a seat and window blind before cabin crew extinguished the fire. The Boeing 777-300 was already well into its Atlantic crossing when the device ignited, leaving the flight crew with no short diversion option — the aircraft reversed course and landed back at Schiphol approximately five and a half hours after it had taken off. KLM confirmed the incident and said one person was lightly injured, though a Dutch-language report cited by NL Times found no injuries; the discrepancy has not been resolved. All passengers were rebooked onto a later service and completed the journey to Curaçao the following day.
The incident is a sharp reminder that the power bank sitting in a carry-on bag is not a neutral object at 35,000 feet. KLM prohibits charging power banks on board, and EASA advises passengers not to recharge or use them in flight — rules that matter most when a passenger is asleep and the device is buried under a jacket in an overhead bin.
What the KL735 incident record shows
An aviation incident report published by AeroInside identifies the aircraft as a Boeing 777-300 operating KL735 on September 17, 2026, and records the return to Amsterdam roughly five and a half hours after departure. The fire broke out over the Atlantic, at a point where continuing to Curaçao or diverting to a third airport would both have been operationally complex — turning back to Schiphol was the safer call.
KLM confirmed the event in an official statement, acknowledged one person sustained minor injuries, and reiterated that charging power banks in the cabin is not permitted on its aircraft. Whether the device was being charged when it failed is still under investigation; reports presenting that detail as established should be treated cautiously, according to coverage reviewed during research.
The physical damage was visible: the power bank left marks on the business-class seat and the window blind beside it. The full extent of damage to the seat console or cabin sidewall has not been confirmed by the airline.
| Event | Detail | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Departure | KL735 departs Amsterdam Schiphol bound for Curaçao | Confirmed |
| Fire in cabin | Power bank ignites in business-class cabin over the Atlantic | Confirmed |
| Crew response | Cabin crew extinguish fire; flight crew reverses course | Confirmed |
| Return landing | Aircraft lands back at Schiphol ~5.5 hours after departure | Confirmed |
| Injuries | KLM says one person lightly injured; Dutch report says none | Conflicting |
| Passenger rebooking | All passengers rebooked; reached Curaçao the following day | Confirmed |
| Charging status | Whether device was charging when it ignited | Under investigation |
Why oceanic routes make battery fires a different problem
The Amsterdam–Curaçao sector is roughly nine hours of flying, with the mid-Atlantic portion offering almost no viable diversion airports. That geography is what turned a contained cabin fire into a five-and-a-half-hour round trip to nowhere.
Once smoke or flame appears in an occupied cabin, crew must locate and contain the device while the flight deck simultaneously evaluates the nearest suitable airport. On a transatlantic sector, “nearest suitable” can mean reversing course rather than pressing forward — and the aircraft burns fuel either way. The result for passengers: missed connections, an unplanned overnight, and a rebooking queue. For the airline: a grounded aircraft, crew duty-hour calculations, and a disrupted slot at the destination.
European guidance is moving toward visibility and containment rather than outright bans. EASA‘s dangerous-goods guidance for passengers requires spare batteries and power banks to stay in the cabin — not checked baggage — with terminals individually protected against short circuits, and recommends carrying no more than two per person. The logic is that a problem spotted early, in a reachable location, is far more manageable than one discovered in the hold. Individual carriers can layer stricter rules on top of that baseline, and KLM‘s in-flight charging prohibition is one example of that.
Travelers therefore face a patchwork: the minimum packing rule is broadly consistent across European carriers, but what passengers are allowed to do with a power bank once they’re seated varies by airline. Checking the operating carrier’s dangerous-goods page before departure — not just the general rule — is the only reliable approach.
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What to do before your next long-haul flight
Battery incidents over open ocean are rare but operationally severe — and the rules governing what you can carry and use in the cabin differ enough between airlines that assuming the default is a mistake.
- Check your carrier’s dangerous-goods rules before packing. KLM prohibits charging power banks in the cabin; other carriers may permit it. Find the specific policy at the airline’s website — not a third-party summary — before you fly.
- Keep power banks in your cabin bag, never in checked luggage. EASA requires this, and most carriers enforce it. A device in the hold cannot be monitored or reached if it begins to overheat.
- Protect terminals against short circuits. EASA recommends individual protection — a case, a sleeve, or the original packaging — to prevent contact with metal objects in your bag.
- Do not charge or use power banks in flight on carriers that prohibit it. If you’re unsure whether your airline permits in-seat charging, treat the answer as no until you’ve confirmed otherwise. EASA‘s own guidance advises against recharging or using power banks in flight regardless of airline policy.
- Keep the device accessible during the flight. A power bank buried under clothing in an overhead bin is harder for crew to reach quickly. Stow it where you — or a crew member — can get to it in seconds.
Watch: EASA‘s lithium battery recommendations and any follow-up from the Dutch civil aviation authority (ILT) on KL735 — if the investigation confirms the device was charging against airline rules, expect KLM and possibly other European carriers to tighten onboard announcements and crew enforcement procedures.
Reporting by
Questions? Answers.
Are power banks allowed in checked baggage on European flights?
No. EASA requires spare batteries and power banks to travel in the cabin, not in checked baggage. This applies across European carriers regardless of individual airline policy. The rationale is that a device in the cabin can be monitored and reached by crew if it begins to overheat; one in the hold cannot.
Can I charge my power bank at my seat on a KLM flight?
No. KLM explicitly prohibits charging power banks in the cabin on its aircraft. This is stricter than the minimum EASA requirement, which advises against recharging in flight but does not mandate a blanket ban. Check the specific policy of your operating carrier before flying — rules vary.
What compensation am I entitled to if my flight diverts due to a cabin fire?
Under EU261/2004, a diversion caused by a genuine safety incident is generally treated as an extraordinary circumstance, which removes the fixed compensation obligation (€250–€600). The airline must still provide care — meals, accommodation if overnight, and re-routing to your destination at the earliest opportunity. Keep all receipts for any out-of-pocket care expenses the airline did not cover.
How many power banks can I bring on a flight?
EASA recommends carrying no more than two power banks per person in the cabin. Individual airlines may set lower limits. Each device must have its terminals protected against short circuits — use a case, sleeve, or original packaging.
