EasyJet passengers evacuated as fire erupts on busy plane and airport shuts down

EasyJet passengers evacuated as fire erupts on busy plane and airport shuts down EasyJet flight U23905 was about to leave Milan Malpensa Airport to go to Prague in the Czech Republic when smoke started to fill the cabin Passengers on an EasyJet flight were evacuated and one of Italy's busiest airports was shut after a power bank burst into flames inside the plane. Smoke filled the cabin of the Airbus A320 while the aircraft was on the taxiway, with the device catching fire in an overhead locker. The incident happened at Milan Malpensa Airport, the biggest in northern Italy, as flight U23905 was about to leave Terminal 2 to head to the Czech capital Prague. But just four minutes after the flight was scheduled to depart on Thursday, the jet had to be pushed back at 5.24pm local time (4.24pm BST). The aircraft stopped beside the airport fire station and all 146 passengers evacuated the aircraft via inflatable slides. Two of them suffered minor bruising while using the slides but no other injuries were reported. Firefighters and an ambulance both attended the incident. Early findings show a lithium power bank overheated in a trolley bag in an overhead locker. Cabin crew then spotted smoke and the aircraft came to a halt. Take-offs and landings were stopped at both of the airport's runways by operator SEA while the emergency was being dealt with. Runway 35L reopened at 6.35pm. The second runway, 35R, stayed shut until 7.30pm so the jet could be towed away and checked. Italy’s air accident agency, ANSV, has opened a safety inquiry. Passengers on other taxiing jets were also taken off as a precaution. Eurocontrol told inbound flights to use alternative airports during the closure. Flight U23905 eventually took off at 10.40pm the same evening, landing in Prague an hour later. SEA said the airport was back to full operations by 7.30pm. Most airlines ban power banks from the hold. EasyJet allows two in the cabin, but they cannot be used to charge devices in flight. Police and fire investigators are examining the burnt device and the bag it was in. Mirror Online has approached EasyJet for comment.