KLM flight turns back to Amsterdam after power bank catches fire in business class

In-flight explosion over the Atlantic

KLM flight KL735 departed Amsterdam Airport Schiphol on Thursday afternoon on a scheduled long-haul flight to Curaçao. Several hours into the journey, while the Boeing 777 was crossing the Atlantic Ocean, a portable power bank exploded with a loud bang in the business class cabin. Flames shot upward toward the ceiling above the seat immediately following the blast. The device belonged to Camiel Eurlings, a former Dutch Christian Democratic Appeal politician who served as president and chief executive of KLM between 2013 and 2014. Fellow passengers reported that Eurlings had fallen asleep while his external battery pack was plugged in and charging, leaving him with minor burn injuries.

Crew response and flight turnaround

The cabin crew extinguished the flames using onboard emergency equipment in accordance with airline safety protocols. Flight attendants communicated directly with passengers to provide reassurance, while crew members took photographs of the cabin damage and transmitted them to maintenance teams at Schiphol. Ground teams evaluated the damage and advised the cockpit crew, who elected to abort the transatlantic journey and return to the Netherlands.

The aircraft commander remains ultimately responsible and ultimately decides whether the aircraft continues or returns.

The Boeing 777 landed safely at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol at 20:40 on Thursday evening. KLM arranged hotel accommodation and rebooked the stranded passengers onto replacement flights departing the following day.

Airline regulations and internal investigation

KLM opened an inquiry to determine the exact circumstances of the failure and establish whether the device was actively charging during the flight. The airline declined to confirm the identity of the passenger, citing privacy rules. Eurlings currently serves as a director at investment firm Knighthood Capital Partners and sits on the supervisory board of Bonaire International Airport.

We are currently investigating the incident. We are also checking whether the power bank was being charged or not. At this moment I cannot say anything about that.

Dutch airline regulations permit travelers to bring a maximum of two power banks with capacities up to 100 watt-hours in hand baggage. Passengers must keep these devices in sight or stowed under the seat in front of them, and regulations prohibit packing them in overhead bins, checking them into cargo holds, or charging them during flight.

Broader aviation safety concerns

The incident follows an increase in battery-related aviation events across international carriers. The Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate receives one to two reports every month regarding overheated power banks or e-cigarettes aboard commercial flights. In August of the previous year, another KLM flight from São Paulo to Amsterdam experienced cabin smoke when a power bank overheated inside a backpack. Lithium-ion batteries can undergo thermal runaway when damaged, dropped, or exposed to excessive vibration, which risks releasing toxic fumes or sparking sudden fires. Aviation regulators, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, have banned in-flight power bank charging and restricted passengers to two units following earlier ground fires, including the January 2025 destruction of an Air Busan aircraft in South Korea and an EasyJet evacuation at Milan-Malpensa Airport.