An Air China flight had to emergency land in Shanghai after a lithium battery in a passenger’s bag caught fire. This occurred on Saturday on a flight from Hangzhou to Seoul.
This was confirmed on flight CA139. The airline explained that after takeoff, a battery in an overhead compartment caught fire.
Passengers’ screams were recorded in a video that is going viral on social media. The overhead compartment was on fire, and other passengers were yelling “hurry up” as flight crew scrambled to extinguish the fire.
The video also shows the smoke in the cabin as the crew tried to control the fire and calm the panicked passengers.
Today, an Air China flight (CA139) from Hangzhou to Incheon was forced to make an emergency landing in Shanghai, China, after a lithium battery in a passenger’s overhead bag caught fire. pic.twitter.com/emRolEYbmj
— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) October 18, 2025
Crew Averts Major Mishap
Air China confirmed that the fire was extinguished in a few minutes and the plane was diverted to Shanghai without incident. Since the crew was able to control the fire, no injuries were recorded.
A significant mishap was averted, and all travellers arrived safely. The flight departed at 9:47 a.m. and was scheduled to reach Incheon International Airport at 12:20 p.m. local time.
