Power bank fire on EasyJet flight forces evacuation at Milan Malpensa

Incident on the taxiway

An EasyJet passenger flight bound for Prague was forced to halt its departure at Milan Malpensa Airport on Thursday afternoon after a fire broke out on board. The aircraft, an Airbus A320 carrying 146 passengers, detached from its parking stand on the Terminal 2 apron at 17:24 and began taxiing toward the runway. At 17:31, while moving along an airport connector route, the crew detected smoke and fire inside the cabin, forcing an immediate stop. The pilots brought the aircraft to a halt on the taxiway directly next to the airport fire station, which enabled emergency teams to intervene without delay. Flight crew members activated emergency protocols immediately to safeguard all occupants and prepare for an evacuation.

Passenger evacuation and injuries

With the aircraft stopped on the connector route, the flight crew directed an evacuation using the emergency slide systems. Inflatable slides deployed from the doors of the Airbus A320, allowing the 146 passengers on board to leave the cabin and reach the tarmac below. Emergency personnel and airport rescue teams assembled beside the aircraft to assist the evacuees and direct them to safe holding areas away from the taxiway. Out of the 146 passengers, 144 evacuated without suffering any injuries during the incident. Two passengers sustained minor contusions while descending the escape slides and received swift medical evaluations from airport responders.

Defective power bank sparks fire

Initial findings indicated that the fire inside the aircraft cabin was triggered by an electronic device stored in a passenger's baggage. The fire began after a defective power bank experienced an electrical short circuit inside a piece of hand luggage. Smoke rapidly filled the surrounding cabin space as the battery pack overheated while the aircraft was still on the taxiway connector route. Because the incident occurred during the taxiing phase, the crew was able to contain the situation before the flight entered the runway for take-off. Firefighters quickly examined the bag and secured the aircraft interior to eliminate any further fire hazard from the damaged battery unit.

Airport suspension and schedule disruptions

The emergency forced airport authorities to implement a precautionary suspension of departures and temporarily close the airport for approximately one hour. All flight departures from Terminal 2 were placed on hold while rescue crews attended to the aircraft, assisted passengers, and secured the connector taxiway. The temporary closure caused knock-on delays across the flight schedule for other airlines and services operating out of Milan Malpensa that afternoon. Airport operations gradually returned to normal after emergency services finished implementing standard safety protocols and verified the security of the area. Passengers were guided back into the terminal facilities as investigators reviewed the circumstances surrounding the cabin fire.