Milan airport: easyJet A320 evacuated over power bank blaze, Wales 2026

Key Points

• All 146 passengers on board easyJet flight U23905 were evacuated following an incident involving a power bank which overheated and started a fire inside an overhead locker when the Airbus A320 was taxiing in Milan Malpensa Airport.
• According to initial reports from Italian authorities and news agencies, two passengers suffered minor injuries during their exit through inflatable emergency slides on the aircraft.
• The overheating lithium battery in a passenger’s carry-on bag caused smoke to engulf the plane before the captain decided to abort take-off, according to ANSV, the air accident investigation agency in Italy.
• The airport was temporarily closed for about one hour with 21 flights being diverted to alternative airports until the situation was sorted out.
• Aviation regulations do not allow lithium batteries and power banks to be carried in restricted baggage except on carry-on bags where the watt-hours are 100 and below; while those between 100 and 160 watt-hours need airline clearance.

Wales (Wales Times) September 14, 2026 – A scheduled easyJet service to Prague was evacuated on the ground after a portable lithium battery pack overheated and ignited inside the cabin, prompting the crew to deploy emergency slides and abort take-off.

What happened on easyJet flight U23905 at Milan Malpensa?

Flight U23905, an Airbus A320 bound for Prague, was in the taxiing phase at Milan Malpensa Airport when cabin crew observed smoke emanating from an overhead locker, leading the captain to declare an emergency and stop the aircraft beside the airport fire station. As reported by journalists at Corriere della Sera, the Airbus interrupted its take-off procedure and remained stationary on the runway while pilots declared an emergency and firefighters attended the scene. According to Sky TG24, the incident prompted a temporary closure of the airport while emergency crews dealt with the fire risk on board.

All 146 people on board left the aircraft using inflatable emergency chutes, with two passengers suffering minor bruises during the evacuation, as reported by La Repubblica and cited by Open.online. Metro’s coverage noted that ambulances and fire crews rushed to the plane after the incident, and that Italy’s air accident agency ANSV believes a lithium power bank overheated and caught fire, sparking the blaze. GB News reported that ANSV, the Italian agency that investigates aviation incidents, concluded that a portable lithium battery pack overheated in the overhead storage bin and triggered the fire.

How did passengers escape the burning easyJet plane?

Passengers fled down emergency chutes after smoke began to fill the cabin, with crew ordering an immediate evacuation while the aircraft was still on the ground near the runway. Euroweekly News reported that holidaymakers bound for Prague were forced to slide down emergency chutes on Thursday, September 10, after a lithium power bank overheated in an overhead locker on the easyJet Airbus A320. The Mirror noted that the aircraft stopped beside the airport fire station and all 146 passengers evacuated the aircraft via inflatable slides.

Two people on board the flight to the Czech capital Prague suffered minor injuries as they exited the aircraft, according to Metro’s account of the evacuation. Air Journal reported that the 146 passengers left the aircraft via emergency slides, with two of them slightly injured. Varese News added that there were two slight injuries and that the airport was closed for about an hour, with 21 flights diverted to other airports while runways were reopened in stages.

Why did the easyJet flight catch fire at Milan airport?

Italy’s air accident investigation body, ANSV, has attributed the blaze to an overheating lithium power bank in a passenger’s carry-on baggage, with the device believed to have short-circuited and ignited inside an overhead locker. Open.online reported that the fire on board the aircraft likely started from a short circuit in a faulty power bank inside a passenger’s hand luggage. Metro stated that ANSV believes a lithium power bank overheated and caught fire, sparking the blaze.

Corriere della Sera indicated that initial findings pointed to the fire of a power bank a device used to recharge mobile phones — owned by a passenger and stored in a trolley placed in the overhead compartment. Il Fatto Quotidiano reported that the fire was probably caused by the overheating of a power bank inside a piece of hand luggage. MiGFlug’s analysis of the incident described the cause as a passenger’s lithium-ion power bank overheating in cabin baggage.

What was the impact on Milan Malpensa Airport operations?

The incident led to a temporary closure of Milan Malpensa Airport for approximately one hour while emergency services responded and the aircraft was secured. Sky TG24 reported that the airport was temporarily closed following the fire on the easyJet flight to Prague. Varese News noted that the airport was closed for an hour, with 21 flights diverted to other airports, and that one runway reopened at about 18:30 and the second at 19:30.

Protothema reported that the airport was closed for an hour after the alarm was raised on flight U23905, which was taxiing before take-off from Milan’s main international airport. The LinkedIn post by Patrick Lutz summarised that airport operations were temporarily restricted, with runways reopening sequentially after the evacuation and inspection of the aircraft.

What do airline rules say about power banks and lithium batteries on planes?

Aviation safety regulations generally require spare lithium batteries and power banks to be carried in hand luggage only, with restrictions on capacity to reduce fire risk in the cargo hold. MiGFlug’s explainer on the Malpensa incident outlined that data on watt-hour limits and airline rules typically allow power banks up to 100Wh without restriction, while those between 100–160Wh require airline approval. The LinkedIn analysis of the event reiterated that spare lithium batteries must be in carry-on baggage and highlighted watt-hour thresholds commonly applied by airlines and regulators.

These rules are designed to ensure that any thermal event involving a lithium cell occurs where crew can detect and respond to it, rather than in the inaccessible cargo compartment. The easyJet incident underscores why carriers and regulators maintain strict carriage rules for portable lithium devices, even when they are permitted in the cabin.

Background to power bank fires on aircraft

Incidents involving overheating or igniting lithium batteries on aircraft have been recorded periodically over the past decade, with regulators and airlines reinforcing rules on carriage and handling of such devices. The easyJet evacuation at Malpensa fits a pattern in which a single faulty or damaged power bank in cabin baggage produces smoke or flame, prompting crews to follow established emergency procedures including aborting take-off and evacuating via slides. Aviation investigators such as ANSV typically examine the device, its placement, and any signs of damage or defect to determine whether the cell entered thermal runaway spontaneously or due to external factors.

Prediction: how this incident may affect UK and European air travellers

For UK and European passengers, incidents of this kind are likely to reinforce existing security and cabin crew scrutiny of portable chargers, with more frequent reminders at check-in and boarding about power bank capacity and storage. Travellers may see tighter enforcement of rules on where power banks are stowed during taxi, take-off and landing, and increased guidance on switching devices off or isolating them if they become warm. Airlines and airports could also expand passenger communications on lithium battery safety, particularly around peak holiday periods when carry-on loads are heavier and devices are more likely to be used or charged in flight.