IndiGo flight diverted to Hyderabad after power bank fire onboard

An IndiGo flight travelling from Delhi to Chennai made an emergency diversion to Hyderabad on Sunday after a passenger's power bank caught fire inside an overhead bin mid-air.

Flight 6E 6115 was en route from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport to Chennai International Airport on 11 October 2026 when crew members detected smoke and flames coming from a personal electronic device stored overhead.

Cabin staff acted immediately, using onboard fire extinguishers to put out the fire before it could spread through the cabin.

Emergency landing at Hyderabad

Following standard safety procedures for in-flight fire alerts, the pilots diverted the aircraft to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad, Hyderabad, where it landed safely.

In an official statement, IndiGo confirmed that the crew responded promptly and managed to bring the situation under control prior to landing.

"IndiGo flight 6E 6115, operating from Delhi to Chennai on October 11, 2026, was diverted to Hyderabad after smoke was detected from a customer’s personal electronic device," the airline said.

"The flight landed safely at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad where arrangements are being made for an alternate aircraft to continue the journey to Chennai," the statement added, noting that affected passengers were being provided refreshments and regular updates while waiting for their replacement flight.

Passenger safety and battery risks

IndiGo has not disclosed the total number of passengers and crew on board flight 6E 6115, nor has it confirmed whether the overhead compartment sustained physical damage during the fire. No injuries were reported following the emergency landing.

The incident highlights ongoing safety concerns around lithium-ion batteries, which power most portable chargers, smartphones, and electronic devices. Aviation regulations strictly require power banks to be carried in hand luggage rather than checked baggage so that cabin crew can react immediately if a unit overheats or ignites.

Lithium-ion batteries can experience thermal runaway—a failure process where internal faults, physical damage, or short circuits trigger rapid overheating, dense smoke, and fire. When such fires break out in cabin storage bins, flight attendants are trained to deploy fire extinguishers and secure the device in fire-resistant containment bags to eliminate further danger to the aircraft.