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Delta Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Battery Fire
A Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale made an unscheduled landing in Fort Myers, Florida, on Monday morning after a passenger’s portable battery caught fire. Delta flight attendants acted swiftly to extinguish the flames, averting a potential disaster.
Although the fire was quickly contained, the presence of residual smoke prompted the crew to declare an emergency and divert the plane to Southwest Florida International Airport, standard procedure in such situations. The flight, carrying 185 passengers and six crew members, landed safely at 8:48 a.m. local time.
Delta commended the flight crew’s prompt response and apologized to passengers for the disruption. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
This latest incident adds to a growing number of lithium battery fires reported on U.S. flights. According to FAA data, there have been 34 such incidents this year alone, 11 involving battery packs.
The FAA also reports a staggering 388% increase in lithium battery fires from 2015 to 2024. The rising concern over these incidents has led some airlines to implement new safety measures, including Southwest Airlines’ policy requiring passengers to keep portable chargers visible during flights.