EasyJet Evacuated at Malpensa After Power Bank Fire

Chaos on the Taxiway at Malpensa

It was supposed to be a routine hop to the Czech capital, but flight U23905 turned into a scramble for survival before it even left Italian soil. The easyJet Airbus A320 was trundling down the central taxiway at Milan Malpensa Airport, lining up for a departure off runway 35L, when the cabin suddenly filled with the acrid, unmistakable stench of burning lithium. Inside a carry-on bag stashed away by a passenger, a portable power bank had suffered a catastrophic thermal runaway. What started as a faint hiss quickly escalated into smoke and flames, transforming a standard taxi procedure into a genuine emergency.

Flight deck crew received immediate indications of trouble and brought the twin-jet to a swift halt on the tarmac. With smoke beginning to haze the cabin, the decision was made instantly to abort the flight. Seconds later, the inflatable emergency slides hissed to life, unfurling from the aircraft doors onto the concrete below. For the 146 travellers aboard, the journey to Prague was abruptly replaced by a frantic, heart-pounding slide down to the ground. Airport emergency crews were already racing across the airfield, sirens wailing, as passengers scrambled clear of the fuselage.

The Growing Menace in the Overhead Bin

The incident at Malpensa highlights a growing, invisible hazard haunting modern commercial aviation: the ubiquitous lithium-ion battery. From smartphones and laptops to high-capacity external power banks, passengers pack dozens of volatile power sources into every cabin. When one of these cells fails, it triggers a self-sustaining chemical fire that's notoriously difficult to extinguish quickly. Airlines and safety regulators have spent years warning travellers about packing spare lithium batteries in checked luggage—where cargo holds lack immediate fire suppression—mandating that they stay in the cabin where crew can respond. Yet, as this emergency proves, even cabin containment isn't foolproof when a cheap or damaged cell decides to self-destruct mid-trip.

While northern Italian hubs are no strangers to operational curveballs—such as when bad weather forced a Wizz Air Flight Diverts to Malpensa After Storms Hit Bergamo—dealing with an active cabin fire on a moving aircraft is a worst-case scenario for any flight crew. Cabin attendants training for years to handle smoke and fire executed their drills with textbook precision, ensuring every single soul made it off the aircraft without catastrophic injury.

Clearing the Tarmac and Counting the Cost

Once the slides were deployed and the passengers evacuated to a safe distance on the taxiway, Malpensa ground operations went into a temporary holding pattern. Firefighters thoroughly inspected the stricken Airbus, focusing heavily on the overhead bin and the charred remains of the carry-on bag to ensure no hidden embers remained ready to reignite. While the airport managed to route around the affected taxiway, departures and arrivals experienced minor ripples of delay as the aviation machinery ground to a momentary halt to account for the unexpected drama.

EasyJet ground personnel quickly corralled the shaken passengers, escorting them back to the terminal building to arrange alternative travel plans and provide medical checks for anyone suffering from smoke inhalation or frayed nerves. The aircraft, bearing registration OE-IVS, was towed to a remote hardstand for a comprehensive forensic teardown. For the unlucky flyers on flight U23905, Prague will have to wait for another day—and they'll likely look at their pocket-sized power banks with a fresh, healthy dose of paranoia.