A Pegasus Airlines flight preparing to depart from Ankara Esenboga Airport for Izmir was evacuated on Friday after a passenger’s portable charger began smoking on board before takeoff.
The pilot alerted air traffic control as the aircraft taxied toward the runway, and the plane was halted before passengers were quickly removed as a precaution. No injuries were reported, and authorities said the incident did not develop into a fire.
The aircraft had completed boarding and was heading for departure when smoke was seen coming from the power bank, according to reports. The crew responded immediately, contacting the Esenboga control tower and stopping the aircraft on a taxiway.
Passengers were taken off in an emergency evacuation, and no further damage to the aircraft was reported. The episode disrupted the scheduled Izmir service.
The incident has renewed attention on rules around power banks and other lithium battery devices on flights, which aviation authorities warn can pose a serious safety risk if mishandled.
Turkey’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has tightened its stance on portable chargers over the past year. The authority has said charging power banks on board aircraft is banned because the devices can threaten flight safety, and it has advised passengers not to use them to charge phones or tablets during a flight.
Pegasus Airlines introduced its own restrictions in August 2025, prohibiting the in-flight use of power banks across its network and barring them from checked baggage. The move followed a series of lithium battery incidents on commercial flights worldwide.
Among the cases that pushed regulators to act was a fire on an Air Busan aircraft in South Korea in January 2025, linked to a power bank stored in an overhead bin, and an incident on an Asiana Airlines flight from Istanbul to Seoul, where a portable charger slipped between seats and created a fire risk.
Power banks rely on lithium-ion batteries, which can overheat, catch fire or explode if damaged or faulty. The confined space of an aircraft cabin magnifies the danger, and fires that start inside overhead bins are harder to detect and contain.
Industry bodies have moved in step. In March 2026, the International Civil Aviation Organization amended its power bank guidance to recommend a limit of two devices per passenger and to advise against recharging them on board. The International Air Transport Association has said passengers carry an average of up to four lithium battery devices each.
Power banks are now common travel items, used by millions of passengers to charge phones and tablets during journeys. Many airlines require them to be carried in hand luggage rather than checked baggage, and a growing number restrict their use in the cabin.
Aviation experts say even a small amount of smoke in the cabin is treated seriously, because it can signal a battery failure that may spread quickly if not contained. Crews are trained to act fast and isolate the device.
For travellers, the lesson is simple: check airline rules before flying, keep portable chargers within reach, and never assume a device that works on the ground is safe to use in the air.
