A power bank explosion in a passenger's pocket caused a fire and evacuation at the Qantas business class lounge in Melbourne Airport's international terminal on Thursday morning. The overheated device ignited, burning the man's leg and fingers and filling the room with smoke.
Approximately 150 people were evacuated from the lounge as a precaution. The man was treated by paramedics at the scene and later taken to hospital for further assessment. Qantas confirmed the lounge was cleaned and reopened on Friday.
The incident comes amid tightened restrictions by many airlines, including Qantas, on flying with lithium-ion batteries to reduce fire risks. In July, Virgin Australia also considered policy changes after a power bank fire on a Sydney-to-Hobart flight.
The explosion occurred about 24 hours before Qantas's annual general meeting on Friday, where shareholders expressed overall optimism about the airline's recovery. The meeting avoided a formal reprimand, with the remuneration report receiving enough support to prevent a 'first strike'.
