We’ve heard of passengers getting caught lighting up traditional cigarettes in airplane lavatories, but on a recent Delta Air Lines flight, an e-cigarette ignited itself in a passenger’s carry-on bag, causing the flight to be delayed.
Fortunately, the e-cigarette sparked to life while the plane was still on the tarmac at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport last night, preparing to leave for St. Louis, reports ABC News.
The e-cigarette was inside a backback, but there were no visible flames reported when the fire department showed up. Passengers stayed on the plane, which ended up leaving about 25 minutes late.
“During the boarding process of Delta Flight 689 traveling from ATL to STL around 7 p.m. Wednesday night, a customer’s bag ignited from an e-cigarette,” an airline spokeswoman told ABC News. “The bag was safely extinguished with no damage to the aircraft.”
E-cigarettes are allowed on Delta flights in carry-on bags only, as long as they aren’t being used or charged on board.
The DOT recently finalized rules officially banning the use of electronic cigarettes on all commercial flights to, from, or within the United States and previously enacted rules prohibiting passengers and crew members from carrying any battery-powered portable electronic smoking devices (e-cigarettes, vaporizers, e-cigars, etc.) in checked baggage.
Delta Flight Delayed After E-Cigarette Ignites in Passenger’s Carry-On [ABC News]
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
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