322 passengers spend 10 hours going nowhere after airline's ex-CEO breaks own safety rule mid-air
'Suddenly a bang was heard,' a passenger recounted.
Every traveler knows the drill right before takeoff: switch your phone to flight mode and follow the crew’s instructions for electronic devices. In recent years, airlines have tightened those safety warnings even further. Yet, high over the Atlantic Ocean, on a flight from Amsterdam to Curaçao, former KLM CEO Camiel Eurlings allegedly ignored the very rules he once oversaw. His portable charger overheated and caught fire, scorching his seat and window blind. What unfolded next was a complete disaster, as the pilots ultimately decided to turn the plane around and head back to Amsterdam, as reported by RTL Nieuws on September 18, 2026.
Departure under standard protocol
Flight KL735 departed Amsterdam Schiphol Airport bound for Willemstad, Curaçao, carrying 322 passengers on what should have been a standard nine-hour journey. While KLM allowed boarding power banks, its rules prohibited passengers from using or charging power banks onboard. Among the travelers settled in was none other than Eurlings, who headed the Dutch flag carrier as president and CEO between 2013 and 2014.
Mid-air explosion
About five and a half hours into the journey, the aircraft was cruising at roughly 30,000 feet far over the open Atlantic when the calm shattered. According to passengers, Eurlings’ power bank was being charged when it caught fire, in violation of KLM’s onboard rules. The power bank suddenly caught fire with a loud bang. "Suddenly a bang was heard," a passenger told RTL Nieuws. "After that, there was an immediate fire; large flames were coming out above the seat. The bang was the power bank exploding and immediately catching fire."
Rapid crew intervention
Cabin attendants shortly after rushed to the business section with fire suppression equipment as thick smoke drifted through the air. The crew successfully doused the burning battery, but the heat left deep scorch marks across Eurlings' seating area and melted the window blind. Eurlings reportedly sustained minor injuries, as did another passenger, who sustained minor burn injuries during the commotion. But the staff successfully kept panic from spreading throughout the cabin. "But the atmosphere was good; the cabin crew responded very quickly and appropriately, and then spoke to everyone one-on-one and reassured us," the passenger said.
The decision to return
The fire was out; however, lingering risks over the deep ocean forced the captain to turn the Boeing 777 around. The flight crew declared an operational disruption and made a wide U-turn over the water, beginning a five-hour trek back to Europe. The aircraft touched down at Schiphol after more than ten hours in the air, leaving travelers back where they started. The airline then placed all 322 passengers in nearby hotels and scheduled a replacement flight for them the following morning, as fliers found this to be strange behavior from a former KLM executive.
Americans also remain unaware
According to a 2026 UL Standards and Engagement report, portable chargers were the leading device involved in onboard battery incidents in 2025, accounting for 30% of reported cases. Such incidents rose 42% from the previous year, while 12% led to diversions or emergency landings. ULSE estimates each incident costs commercial aviation about $96,000 on average.
Forbid power banks
This explains why people in the comment section of a post regarding the same, made by u/Speedbird87, vented their frustrations. u/Joeyjackhammer commented, "Power banks are not allowed in stowed baggage. They’re fine for carry-on (under a certain size)." Meanwhile, u/MarkCXXVII questioned, "Did the crew not see this, or did they see it and choose to ignore it? Knowing KLM, the cabin crew is normally quite observant; there’s not a lot they miss, especially with potential safety issues…"
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