IndiGo Delhi-Chennai Flight Diverts to Hyderabad After Power Bank Fire in Overhead Bin

An IndiGo Airbus A321 operating flight 6E 6115 from Delhi to Chennai diverted to Hyderabad on Sunday after smoke and flames were detected from a passenger’s power bank stored in an overhead bin. The aircraft landed safely at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. No passengers or crew were injured.

The flight departed Terminal 1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport at approximately 1:30 pm local time and was scheduled to arrive in Chennai at 4 pm. Around halfway through the flight, passengers noticed smoke and then flames inside the overhead compartment. Videos recorded on mobile phones show flames in the bin and passengers attempting to douse them with bags and clothing before cabin crew used fire extinguishers to bring the situation under control.

IndiGo said in a statement that smoke was detected from a customer’s personal electronic device. The cabin crew responded promptly, the situation was brought under control, and the pilots diverted the flight in accordance with established protocols. The aircraft landed at Hyderabad at 3:59 pm. An alternate aircraft was arranged to carry the passengers onward to Chennai. The airline offered refreshments and updates while the replacement flight was prepared.

Airline policy requires power banks and spare lithium-ion batteries to be carried only in hand baggage and kept within the passenger’s personal reach at all times, such as under the seat or in a seat pocket. They must not be placed in overhead compartments or checked baggage. IndiGo permits a maximum of two spare batteries rated up to 100 watt-hours, subject to security clearance. The video evidence indicates the device was in the overhead bin, which is contrary to that guidance.

Lithium-ion batteries can enter thermal runaway if damaged, short-circuited or exposed to high temperatures, producing intense heat and flames that are difficult to extinguish with water. Aviation regulators worldwide have tightened rules on portable power banks after multiple cabin incidents. Previous IndiGo flights have recorded similar events, including one on a Delhi-Dimapur flight in 2025 while taxiing and another after landing in Chandigarh in May 2026.

The diversion added roughly an hour to the journey for the approximately 180 passengers and seven crew members. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft descending from cruise altitude and turning toward Hyderabad. After landing, passengers remained on board or in the terminal while the airline organised the onward flight.

The incident has again drawn attention to the gap between published baggage rules and actual stowage practices. Cabin crew training emphasises rapid response with halon extinguishers and isolation of the device. In this case the crew succeeded in containing the fire before it spread further through the cabin.

IndiGo has not released further technical details on the specific power bank or the exact time the fire was first noticed. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is expected to review the occurrence as part of routine incident reporting. Passengers continued to Chennai on the replacement aircraft later on Sunday.