India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is evaluating the possibility of imposing stricter regulations or a nationwide ban on the use of power banks on flights, following a recent fire incident on an IndiGo aircraft in Delhi.

The review was prompted after a passenger’s power bank reportedly caught fire while an IndiGo flight to Dimapur was taxiing for departure from Indira Gandhi International Airport on Sunday. The cabin crew quickly extinguished the fire, and no injuries were reported.

Potential restrictions under consideration

The DGCA has launched a comprehensive review of how power banks are managed by passengers and airlines. Proposed measures could include a complete prohibition on in-flight use, limits on power capacity, or even banning carriage if the risks cannot be adequately controlled. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has been briefed, and both agencies are collaborating to determine possible new safety protocols.

Incident details

IndiGo Airlines confirmed that flight 6E 2107, operating from Delhi to Dimapur in Nagaland, returned to the bay shortly after taxiing due to "a minor fire triggered by a passenger's personal electronic equipment stored in the seat-back pocket."

"The crew managed the situation quickly by diligently following standard operating procedures, and the incident was controlled within seconds," the airline said in a statement.

All passengers and crew were unharmed, and the fire did not damage the aircraft. Following safety inspections, the Airbus A320neo continued its journey, departing Delhi at 14:33 hours and arriving safely in Dimapur at 16:45 hours, according to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24.com.

Global carriers take precautions

International airlines have already tightened rules on power banks. In early October, Emirates Airlines banned the use of power banks on all flights. Passengers may now only carry devices rated below 100 watt-hours and are prohibited from charging them or using them to power other devices mid-flight.

Singapore Airlines introduced similar restrictions in April, forbidding any in-flight use or charging of power banks. Other carriers, including Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways, have also imposed limits on where passengers can store these devices.

Lithium battery risks

Power banks rely on lithium-ion cells, which are compact batteries capable of storing high amounts of electrical energy. However, lower-quality models, often sold without proper certification, may lack essential safety features such as short-circuit protection or temperature regulation, increasing the risk of fires.