Overview

• On July 7, a lithium-ion power bank inside a passenger’s carry-on caught fire on Delta Flight 1334 from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale, forcing an emergency landing at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers.
• Flight attendants used a fire containment bag to extinguish the blaze and pilots declared an emergency out of an abundance of caution, with no injuries reported among the 185 passengers and six crew members.
• The Federal Aviation Administration has opened an official probe into the incident as part of its oversight of 34 lithium battery fires recorded on U.S. flights so far in 2025.
• FAA data show a 388 percent increase in in-flight lithium battery fires from 2015 to 2024, prompting carriers to enhance crew training and device handling procedures.
• Delta completed safety inspections on the Boeing 757-200 and is assisting affected passengers with rebooking as regulators and airlines examine stricter rules on carrying and charging spare batteries.