Lufthansa flight Frankfurt–Lisbon diverted to Lyon after a passenger’s power bank caught fire on board

A Lufthansa aircraft operating flight LH1170 from Frankfurt to Lisbon was diverted to Lyon on Saturday evening after a passenger’s power bank caught fire during the flight. There were 198 passengers and six crew members on board the Airbus A321-200.

The crew immediately isolated the power bank in a protective bag specially designed for lithium batteries. As a safety precaution, the pilots declared an emergency and requested priority landing in Lyon, in central-eastern France.

The aircraft landed without incident shortly before 20:00 GMT. The passengers left the aircraft normally, and the airline said no injuries had been reported. The 198 passengers and six crew members were accommodated at a hotel overnight and resumed their journey to Lisbon on Sunday.

Lufthansa apologized for the disruption to the journey and reiterated that the safety of its passengers and crews is its priority. From January 2026, the airline prohibits the use and recharging of power banks on board. Passengers may carry no more than two such devices in the cabin, subject to the conditions set out in the safety rules.