The crew extinguished the cabin fire over the Atlantic before the Boeing 777 returned safely to Amsterdam.
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS — A power bank caught fire aboard a KLM flight bound for Curaçao, damaging part of the aircraft’s business-class cabin and prompting the Boeing 777 to turn back over the Atlantic Ocean and return to Amsterdam, the airline and published reports said.
The fire broke out aboard KLM Flight KL735 on Sept. 17 as the aircraft traveled from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol toward Curaçao. KLM said the crew followed applicable procedures and extinguished the fire before the decision was made to return to the Netherlands. Images published after the incident showed blackening and other visible damage around a window and seating area inside the cabin.
The flight was operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, registration PH-BVP. Flight-tracking information cited by aviation publications showed that the aircraft departed Amsterdam during the afternoon and later reversed course over the Atlantic. It landed safely back at Schiphol that evening. Passengers were subsequently rebooked, with KLM saying they were placed on another flight that departed the following morning.
KLM did not publicly identify the passenger whose power bank caught fire. Dutch news organizations, citing passengers, reported that the device belonged to Camiel Eurlings, a former KLM chief executive. The airline declined to confirm the passenger’s identity when asked by other news outlets, citing privacy. Reports also said the passenger suffered minor burns, though KLM did not provide detailed public information about injuries in the statements reviewed.
The incident drew additional attention because reports said the power bank was being used or charged when the fire occurred. KLM’s published baggage rules allow passengers to carry as many as two power banks, but the devices must remain accessible and may not be stored in overhead bins. The airline also prohibits passengers from using or charging power banks during a flight.
Power banks contain lithium batteries, which can produce intense heat if a cell fails. A failure known as thermal runaway can cause a battery to overheat rapidly and produce smoke or fire. Aviation authorities generally require spare lithium batteries and power banks to travel in the passenger cabin rather than checked baggage, where a developing problem could be harder for a crew to detect and reach.
The International Air Transport Association says power banks are among the lithium-battery devices commonly carried by travelers and recommends that passengers protect spare batteries from damage and short circuits. Airline requirements can be more restrictive, and KLM’s current rules specifically require power banks to remain with passengers rather than in an overhead compartment.
The KLM incident follows other recent fires involving portable lithium batteries aboard passenger aircraft. Airlines and aviation regulators have increasingly tightened rules governing where power banks can be stored and whether they can be used during a flight. Cabin crews are trained to respond quickly when a battery begins smoking or burning because damaged lithium cells can continue producing heat even after visible flames are suppressed.
In this case, the crew was able to contain the fire without an emergency landing at another airport, but the pilots chose to return to Amsterdam rather than continue the transatlantic trip. Photographs and video circulated after the flight showed scorch damage around the affected business-class area, illustrating the potential consequences of a battery fire even when it is brought under control quickly.
KLM said passengers were rebooked after the aircraft returned to Schiphol. The airline had not announced in the material reviewed whether the damaged Boeing 777 required extensive repairs or when it would return to regular passenger service.
Author note: Last updated September 19, 2026.