Portable Charger Catches Fire Mid-Flight, One Passenger Injured

A Hong Kong-bound Asiana Airlines flight experienced an in-flight fire on Thursday when a passenger's portable charger reportedly ignited.

Flight Details

On Thursday, January 8th, 2026, Asiana Airlines Flight 745 was flying from Seoul-Incheon Airport in South Korea to Hong Kong. There were 284 passengers on board. The flight was scheduled to depart at 7:25 PM South Korea time (GMT+9) and land at 10:40PM, Hong Kong time (GMT+8).

The flight was operated by an Airbus A330-214 registered as HL7754. It was delivered new to Asiana in July 2007. At the time of the incident, it was 18.6 years old.

The flight departed Seoul at 8:10 PM. Two hours into the flight, a portable power bank ignited in the economy class cabin, setting the passenger's clothes on fire. According to Korean news outlet DAUM, another passenger shared to the following:

“From what I heard, the fire happened while it was charging a phone, there was a flash and people were saying ”there's a fire”

According to an Asiana Airlines employee, the fire was quickly contained within a couple minutes by flight attendants using fire extinguishers. The flight continued normally without having to divert or have an emergency landing.

The flight landed at Hong Kong International Airport at 10:42 PM local time, just two minutes behind schedule, despite departing nearly 30 minutes late (and having an in-flight fire). Its recorded arrival time in Hong Kong was 10:56PM local time.

One hand injury was reported.

The Aftermath

The passengers were able to arrive at their intended destination without further incident.

No damage was reported on HL7754, and it operated the return leg back to Seoul as flight OZ746 without incident. The aircraft then operated flight OZ369 from Seoul to Guangzhou as scheduled, and is on the ground at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at the time of writing.

One year prior to this incident, an Airbus A320 belonging to Asiana Airlines subsidiary Air Busan caught fire on the ramp at Busan Gimhae International Airport for a similar reason. The A320, registered as HL7763, was severely damaged by the incident and written off. This aircraft was also to operate a flight to Hong Kong as Air Busan Flight BX391.

Many Airlines Have Been Restricting Portable Chargers

Starting June 28, 2025, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) began strictly enforcing a new regulation: all power banks carried on domestic flights must bear a clear CCC (China Compulsory Certification) mark.

This policy was introduced in response to a surge in in-flight fire incidents involving lithium batteries. While lithium battery rules have existed for years, this specific certification requirement has caught many international travelers off guard.

The CCC (also known as 3C) is China's mandatory safety and quality standard. Since August 1, 2024, all power banks sold within mainland China must have this certification.

The Problem for Travelers: Power banks purchased outside of China (even from major brands like Anker, Apple, or Samsung) typically carry Western safety marks like CE (Europe) or FCC (USA), but they often lack the CCC logo.

The Logo: It is an elliptical mark with three overlapping "C" letters. To be valid for flight, it must be printed or engraved directly on the device. Stickers are usually not accepted.

While it remains unconfirmed if the power bank in yesterday’s incident carried the CCC mark, the fire underscores why aviation authorities have been so aggressive in mandating these safety certifications.