March 15, 2026 — 6:48pm
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A vape that caught fire aboard a Virgin Australia aircraft forced the crew to declare an emergency before landing at Melbourne Airport on Sunday afternoon.
Flight VA328, which departed from Brisbane, issued a PAN call – an urgent radio signal – which triggered a response from emergency services in Melbourne.
A Virgin Australia Boeing 737.Bloomberg
The airport responded to the PAN call from flight VA328 after a vape activated in the plane’s cabin during descent, Virgin said.
“As a precaution and in accordance with standard procedures, emergency services were placed on standby,” a spokesman for the airport said.
The Boeing 737 landed safely shortly after about 4.20pm. No one was injured.
PAN calls denote a serious situation that is just below an immediate threat to life or the aircraft.
The Virgin Australia 737 that declared PAN after a vape caught fire after landing in Melbourne.X
Aviation Rescue firefighters followed the aircraft after it landed and removed the vape from the plane as a precaution.
“The safety of our guests and crew is our highest priority, and we thank our crew for their swift response in containing the device,” a Virgin spokesperson said.
Vapes are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that can overheat, catch fire or explode if damaged, overcharged or put under temperature stress.
Sunday’s incident comes as airlines and aviation authorities have tightened rules on the transportation of power banks because of the fire risks they pose.
The flight path of Virgin Australia’s VA328 flight on Sunday.Flight24
In December, Virgin Australia began restricting the use of power banks – the small, self-contained battery packs used to charge phones and other devices – on flights.
Qantas instituted a similar policy the same month.
Virgin began reviewing its policy on power banks in July after a flight crew had to put out a fire on a midair flight between Sydney and Hobart.
Melbourne Airport evacuated 150 people from the Qantas international business lounge in November when a man’s power bank ignited in his pocket and caught alight.
A series of disasters and scares linked to lithium batteries and rechargeable power banks has raised awareness of the safety risk they pose.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority estimates that on average, each passenger now carries four battery-powered devices.
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Chris Zappone is a senior reporter covering aviation and business. He is former digital foreign editor.Connect via X, Facebook or email.From our partners