Two passengers have suffered minor injuries after a power bank overheated and caught fire onboard Scoot flight TR993 from Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN). The incident took place as the Airbus A320neo, registered as 9V-TNE, was taxiing to the runway for departure on January 10th.
Firefighters were immediately called, and the aircraft returned to stand, where all passengers were disembarked without further incident. According to Scoot, two of those onboard – the owner of the power bank and his travel companion – suffered “minor burns to their fingers,” and medical assistance was provided to them at the airport, although hospital treatment was not required.
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:
Power bank catches fire on a Scoot flight bound for Singapore. – According to Scoot, the rechargeable power bank belonging to a passenger on flight TR993 from Taipei to Singapore had overheated. pic.twitter.com/2ZJUV01hD2 — sg.trending (@sg_trending) January 11, 2023
In a statement issued to Channel NewsAsia, Scoot said,
“Scoot sincerely apologizes for the incident. The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority. Investigations into the incident are underway. We are rescheduling the flight and will provide affected passengers with accommodation and meals.”
Power banks – the risks and regulations
IATA regulations stipulate 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, Russian carrier 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 (DME).
Scoot – from strength to strength
Scoot, a low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, commenced operations in June 2012. In July 2017, it merged with fellow low-cost carrier Tigerair, adopting its air operator’s certificate (AOC) and IATA code (TR), but retaining the Scoot brand and callsign. Today the airline operates flights to 58 destinations across Asia, Europe, and Australia, including Athens (ATH), Sydney (SYD), and Jeddah (JED).
Scoot’s fleet is made up of 60 aircraft, including 20 Boeing 787s, which seat between 329 and 375 passengers, depending on the configuration. The carrier’s Airbus A320neos, like the aircraft involved in Tuesday’s incident, carry 186 passengers in an all-economy layout. As Asia continues to open up following the pandemic, Scoot is expecting a number 2023, and in order to meet growing demand, the airline has a further 26 aircraft on order, including 12 Airbus A320neos.
Flight TR993 is a daily service from Taipei Taoyuan International Airport to Singapore Changi Airport, operated by both the Airbus A320neo and Airbus A321neo aircraft. The flight is scheduled to depart at 19:35 and arrive at 00:20 (+1 day). From Taipei, Scoot also flies to Seoul (ICN), Tokyo (NRT), and offers a seasonal service to Sapporo (CTS).
Source: simpleflying.com