HK Express Power Bank Incident: What Happened on Flight UO676?
HK Express power bank incident on flight UO676 from Hong Kong to Jeju, 25 Oct 2026: one burned thumb, crew response, timeline and Hong Kong's two-bank rule.
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The HK Express power bank incident happened on flight UO676 from Hong Kong to Jeju on 25 October 2026. A power bank in a bag under a passenger seat began to smoke as the flight approached Jeju. A woman was burned on her left thumb taking it out, the crew sealed it in a fire-containment bag and put it in water, and the aircraft landed at Jeju International Airport. The sections below separate what the reports confirm from what they do not, and keep this incident apart from the separate Hong Kong Airlines diversion of March 2025 and an Asiana fire in January 2026. Related: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 battery crisis.
💡 Short Answer
On 25 October 2026 a power bank smoked on an HK Express flight from Hong Kong to Jeju (236 passengers, 7 crew). One woman burned her left thumb. Crew used a thermal containment bag and water, and the plane landed at Jeju as scheduled. HK Express allows two power banks per passenger and bars charging from them, or storing them in overhead bins, in flight. The device’s brand, cause and whether it was in use have not been reported.
HK Express Power Bank Incident: Key Questions
The Incident in Eight Points
- When and where: 25 October 2026, Hong Kong to Jeju, approaching Jeju.
- Who was on board: 236 passengers and 7 crew.
- Injury: one burned left thumb; no other injuries reported.
- Response: thermal containment bag, then water; first aid on arrival.
- No diversion reported: the aircraft landed at Jeju as scheduled.
- Unknowns: brand, capacity, cause, and whether it was charging.
- Rules: Hong Kong limited power banks to two per passenger on 28 March 2026.
- Do not mix up: Hong Kong Airlines (2025) and Asiana (January 2026) are separate incidents.
HK Express Power Bank Incident Timeline, Latest First
Published and last updated 26 October 2026. Each entry is tagged by airline or rule, with its source linked.
2026
The airline’s own rules, read against the incident Rule
HK Express’s published notice says each passenger may carry up to two power banks, that they must stay with the passenger or inside the carry-on small personal item and never go in checked baggage, and that they must not be used for charging, recharged or stored in overhead compartments during the flight (HK Express). It adds that the stricter of airport or destination rules prevails.
The notice is as AiTimeline read it on 26 October 2026; the airline can change it without notice. The power bank in this incident was in a bag under a seat, which the notice allows. Nothing published says whether it was in use.
2026
Crew contain the overheating power bank HK Express
Flight attendants put the power bank into a thermal containment bag, equipment made for in-flight battery fires, and submerged it in water. After confirming there was no risk of a secondary fire in the cabin, fire authorities gave first aid at Jeju (SBS News). The injured passenger reportedly declined transport and said she would go to hospital on her own.
The aircraft landed at Jeju as scheduled. No report AiTimeline found describes a diversion or emergency declaration.
2026
Power bank smokes on the Hong Kong to Jeju flight HK Express
Jeju’s fire and safety headquarters received a report at about 6:22 am on 25 October that a passenger had been burned by heat and smoke from a portable battery on a Hong Kong Express flight from Hong Kong, still in the air. Fire crews reached Jeju International Airport at 6:32 am to await the landing. The aircraft carried 236 passengers and 7 crew (SBS News).
The power bank was in a bag under a passenger seat. When the passenger took it out, it was emitting smoke. A Chinese woman in her 50s was burned on her left thumb. The flight number UO676 comes from the source brief and matches the airline’s Hong Kong to Jeju schedule listing; the SBS report names the airline but not the number. Other reports give her age as about 60, and AiTimeline could not open the SCMP report (SCMP).
2026
Hong Kong tightens power bank rules for departing flights Rule
Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department issued an advisory circular to airlines at Hong Kong International Airport after the latest International Civil Aviation Organization requirements. Airlines may allow each passenger a maximum of two power banks on board, and recharging them in flight is strictly prohibited. The rules took effect immediately, and passengers were told to check the airline’s own rules (Hong Kong Government).
The release does not itself ban using a power bank to charge a phone; HK Express’s notice goes further and bars charging from a power bank in flight.
2026
Asiana power bank fire on an Incheon to Hong Kong flight Separate incident
An Asiana Airlines flight from Incheon to Hong Kong, carrying 284 passengers, departed at around 7 pm. More than two hours in, a passenger’s portable charger ignited. Crew put it out with a fire extinguisher within one to two minutes, the owner suffered minor burns to the hand, and the flight continued to Hong Kong without a diversion (The Standard; SCMP).
The source brief dated this 9 January and gave a flight number; The Standard’s report was published 9 January about the Thursday-night flight, and AiTimeline could not confirm the number.
2025
Hong Kong Airlines flight diverts to Fuzhou after a cabin fire Separate incident
During cruise, a power bank in a passenger’s carry-on bag burst into flames in an overhead compartment. The cabin crew put the fire out and the crew diverted to Fuzhou, the nearest airport, where the aircraft landed without further incident. France’s BEA record, based on information from China’s authorities, says the cause was thermal runaway of a Romoss-brand power bank rated at 20,000 mAh. It lists no human consequences (BEA).
This was Hong Kong Airlines, not HK Express.
Three Power Bank Incidents Side by Side
Same hazard, three airlines. Only the first is the HK Express incident.
| HK Express | Asiana Airlines | Hong Kong Airlines | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 25 Oct 2026 | 8 Jan 2026 | 20 Mar 2025 |
| Route | Hong Kong to Jeju | Incheon to Hong Kong | Hangzhou to Hong Kong |
| Where the device was | Bag under a seat | Passenger-carried; location not stated in sources used | Carry-on in an overhead compartment |
| What happened | Smoke and heat when taken out | Device ignited; fire put out | Fire in the bin; thermal runaway per BEA |
| Injuries | One burned thumb | One minor hand burn | None listed |
| Outcome | Landed at Jeju as scheduled | Continued to Hong Kong | Diverted to Fuzhou |
Power Bank Rules: Hong Kong and HK Express
What the regulator and the airline each say, side by side.
| Source | Limit | In-flight charging and use | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department, 28 Mar 2026 | Airlines may allow up to two power banks per passenger | Recharging a power bank in flight is strictly prohibited | Not specified in the release |
| HK Express notice (read 26 Oct 2026) | Up to two power banks | Must not be used for charging or recharged in flight | With the passenger or in the small personal item; never in checked bags or overhead compartments |
The regulator sets a ceiling; the airline can be stricter. Here the airline’s notice adds a ban on charging from a power bank and on overhead-bin storage. Both say to check the airline before flying.
Why Can a Power Bank Overheat in Flight?
General background, not a finding about this device.
Most power banks use lithium-ion or lithium-polymer cells. Damage, a manufacturing defect, a short circuit or overheating can start thermal runaway, where a cell generates heat faster than it can lose it. The reaction can release smoke, flames and gases and can spread to neighbouring cells. In a cabin, smoke reaches passengers and crew quickly, which is why airlines train crews to contain a hot device and cool it. The BEA’s record of the 2025 Hong Kong Airlines fire named thermal runaway as the cause there. For the 2026 HK Express device, no cause has been published.
What Passengers Should Do With Power Banks
General precautions; your airline’s instructions come first.
- Carry them in the cabin: never in checked baggage.
- Follow in-flight limits: on HK Express, no charging from a power bank and no overhead-bin storage.
- Know your count: two per passenger on HK Express.
- Report warning signs: heat, swelling, an odd smell or smoke. Tell the crew immediately.
- Do not handle a smoking device yourself: this passenger was burned doing so. Follow crew instructions.
- Skip damaged or recalled units: do not fly with a swollen or damaged battery.
What Is Confirmed and What Is Open, as of 26 October 2026
Reports and the brief disagree in places, so the table says which is which.
| Question | What the sources show | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Date, airline, route | 25 Oct 2026, HK Express, Hong Kong to Jeju (SBS) | Confirmed |
| Flight number UO676 | From the brief and the airline schedule listing; not in the SBS text | Not independently confirmed |
| Injury | Burn to the left thumb of one woman | Confirmed |
| Passenger age | In her 50s per SBS; other reports say about 60 | Conflicting |
| Diversion or emergency landing | None described; landed at Jeju | No report of one |
| Brand, capacity and cause of the power bank | Not stated in any report found | Unknown |
| Whether it was in use or charging | Not stated | Unknown |
| Official investigation | None reported | None found |
Who Is Who
HK Express
Hong Kong low-cost carrier; operated the 25 October 2026 flight and publishes the power bank notice.
Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department
Issued the 28 March 2026 advisory circular for departures from Hong Kong.
Jeju fire and safety headquarters
Took the report at 6:22 am and met the aircraft at the airport.
BEA (France)
Published the record of the 2025 Hong Kong Airlines fire; not involved in the 2026 incident.
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A Small Accessory, a Real Hazard
The HK Express incident was contained quickly and ended with one burned thumb and a normal landing. It shows why airlines restrict where power banks go and how they are used, and why a passenger should leave a smoking device to the crew. What is still missing is the device’s identity and cause. Until that is published, the clearest facts are the date, the route, the response and the rules that applied.
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⚠️ Editorial Note
Published and last updated 26 October 2026. Corrections to the source brief: the Asiana fire was on the night of Thursday 8 January 2026 (reports appeared 9 January), and AiTimeline could not confirm the flight number the brief gave. The brief’s 26 October entry about international media coverage could not be checked; the SCMP pages it cited returned an access block, so the account here rests on SBS News (citing Jeju fire authorities), the Hong Kong Government release, HK Express’s notice and the BEA record. The Hong Kong release says airlines may allow two power banks and prohibits recharging; it does not itself prohibit using one. The flight number UO676 is the brief’s and matches the airline’s route listing, but SBS does not state it. The passenger’s age is given as in her 50s by SBS and about 60 elsewhere. This is not safety or legal advice. No photographs of people or the aircraft are used.
Sources & further reading
Every dated entry above was checked against these references. Last reviewed 26 October 2026.
- SBS News: smoke fills cabin of landing flight at Jeju Airport, 25 Oct 2026
- HK Express: Important notice on power banks and lithium batteries
- Hong Kong Government: CAD new regulations on power banks, 28 Mar 2026
- The Standard: Asiana flight to Hong Kong lands safely after power bank fire, 9 Jan 2026
- BEA: Hong Kong Airlines A320 serious incident, 20 Mar 2025
- SCMP: HK Express passenger injured after power bank overheats on flight to Jeju
- SCMP: Passenger injured in fire sparked by power bank on Incheon-Hong Kong flight