Lithium batteries are once again causing chaos.
During a seemingly normal flight from Brisbane to Melbourne yesterday, a vape went up in flames, causing a small fire in the cabin.
The Virgin Australia pilot issued an emergency PAN alert, which is second to a mayday call, triggering an emergency response for all departments.
The plane was put into a holding pattern above the airport, fire and rescue crews assembling on the ground for its arrival.
The VA328 landed safely and all passengers and crew disembarked without a hitch.
Fire crews rescued the burnt-out vape, which was not used in flight but rather activated randomly.
Though vapes and e-cigarettes are permitted on Virgin Australia flights, their website states that “when packed or carried on board you need to prevent the item from being accidentally turned on.”
Lithium batteries, however, have become notorious for sporadically turning on and bursting into flames. Last July, a Virgin flight from Sydney To Hobart saw a power bank similarly catch fire and trigger an emergency response.
Airlines have since begun banning battery-operated devices from carry-on luggage and in some cases, from being used in flight.
Bluetooth devices such as AirPods, and their cases, have been banned from numerous airlines, as well as power banks banned from use on board Qantas and Jetstar flights.
Though the fires are rare, lithium batteries have long been questioned for their safety. No doubt we’ve seen e-bikes in flames in our social feeds, bad press that e-vehicle companies can never escape.
Fire and Rescue NSW reported over 100 e-bikes caught on fire last year, raising concerns for lithium’s stability as a power source.
Ardent believers in lithium’s use, Tesla has employed lithium to power its metallic boxes. There have been over 230 reported Tesla fires, additionally 83 people have died as a result of these accidents (as of 2025 data).
A Virgin Australia spokesperson assured that any lithium-powered items “should always be carried in the cabin, where cabin crew are trained to respond to any incidents.’
