Fire Breaks Out in British Airways Luggage Container at Milan Malpensa, Lithium Battery Suspected
What to Know A fire broke out in a luggage container moments before it was due to be loaded onto a British Airways flight at Milan Malpensa, with a lithium battery suspected as the cause. In This Article Why a lithium battery is suspected as the case and what makes this so dangerous. How this incident echoes the 2025 Air Busan fire that destroyed an Airbus A321 after a power bank ignited in an overhead bin. The new power bank rules BA introduced earlier this year, including a ban on storing them in overhead lockers. Why fire-resistant cargo containers don’t always stop a lithium battery fire from spreading. Show 4 more points + .pyok-callout { display: flex; border-radius: 0; background: #f7f9fc; margin: 24px 0; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; } .pyok-callout-inner { padding: 20px 24px; width: 100%; } .pyok-callout-head { margin-bottom: 12px; } .pyok-callout-tag { font-size: 20px; font-weight: 900; letter-spacing: 0.04em; text-transform: uppercase; color: #120E43; } .pyok-callout-list { margin: 0; padding: 0; list-style: none; } .pyok-callout-list li { position: relative; padding-left: 18px; margin-bottom: 12px; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.55; color: #1a1a1a; } .pyok-callout-list li::before { content: ""; position: absolute; left: 0; top: 9px; width: 6px; height: 6px; border-radius: 50%; background: #120E43; } .pyok-callout-list-more li:last-child { margin-bottom: 0; } .pyok-callout-subhead { text-align: center; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0.1em; text-transform: uppercase; color: #8a93a3; margin: 22px 0 14px; padding-top: 14px; border-top: 1px solid #e1e7ef; } .pyok-callout-more { max-height: 0; overflow: hidden; transition: max-height 0.35s ease; } .pyok-callout-toggle { display: inline-flex; align-items: center; gap: 6px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0; border: none; background: none; color: #120E43; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; cursor: pointer; } .pyok-callout-toggle:hover { text-decoration: underline; } .pyok-callout-toggle-icon { display: inline-flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; width: 16px; height: 16px; border: 1.5px solid #120E43; border-radius: 0; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1; } (function () { document.querySelectorAll('.pyok-callout-toggle').forEach(function (btn) { btn.addEventListener('click', function () { var card = btn.closest('.pyok-callout-inner'); var more = card.querySelector('[data-more]'); var isOpen = btn.getAttribute('aria-expanded') === 'true'; var textEl = btn.querySelector('.pyok-callout-toggle-text'); var iconEl = btn.querySelector('.pyok-callout-toggle-icon'); if (isOpen) { more.style.maxHeight = '0px'; btn.setAttribute('aria-expanded', 'false'); textEl.textContent = btn.dataset.moreText; iconEl.textContent = '+'; } else { more.style.maxHeight = more.scrollHeight + 'px'; btn.setAttribute('aria-expanded', 'true'); textEl.textContent = btn.dataset.lessText; iconEl.textContent = '\u2212'; } }); }); })(); A fire erupted in a luggage container just moments before it was due to be loaded in the cargo hold of a British Airways Airbus A321neo at Milan Malpensa International Airport on Sunday afternoon, once again highlighting the very real dangers that lithium batteries face when they are incorrectly packed in checked luggage. The fire was caught on camera by former BBC politics journalist Jon Sopel, who was waiting in the terminal building to board British Airways flight BA-585 from Milan to London Heathrow. Thick black smoke could be seen pouring out of the top of the luggage container, while orange flames flickered around the outside, as the fire quickly took hold. Ground workers watched in horror and quickly moved the other containers away to stop the fire spreading. Airport fire trucks rushed to the scene, and firefighters started dousing the container down with water just moments after arriving at the gate. Aircraft Details Registration G-NEOT Aircraft Type Airbus A321neo Engines 2 x CFMI LEAP-1A32 Operator British Airways Route Milan Malpensa (MXP) to London Heathrow (LHR) Flight Number BA585 .pyok-callout { display: flex; border-radius: 0; background: #f7f9fc; margin: 24px 0; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; } .pyok-callout-inner { padding: 20px 24px; width: 100%; } .pyok-callout-head { margin-bottom: 12px; } .pyok-callout-tag { font-size: 20px; font-weight: 900; letter-spacing: 0.04em; text-transform: uppercase; color: #120E43; } .pyok-aircraft-list { margin: 0; padding: 0; } .pyok-aircraft-row { display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: baseline; gap: 16px; padding: 10px 0; border-top: 1px solid #e1e7ef; } .pyok-aircraft-row:first-child { border-top: none; padding-top: 0; } .pyok-aircraft-row dt { font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.04em; color: #8a93a3; margin: 0; flex-shrink: 0; } .pyok-aircraft-row dd { font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; color: #1a1a1a; margin: 0; text-align: right; } @media (max-width: 420px) { .pyok-aircraft-row { flex-direction: column; align-items: flex-start; gap: 4px; } .pyok-aircraft-row dd { text-align: left; } } In a post on X, Sopel wrote: “Suspect this might delay BA585 out of Milan Malpensa. Glad I didn't check any bags.” In a follow-up post, Sopel added: “Video of fire on baggage container with luggage to be loaded onto BA585 just now at Milan Malpensa. Smart move to get the other containers out of the way before fire spread. If cause was lithium battery, glad fire was there and not on plane.” Video of fire on baggage container with luggage to be loaded onto BA585 just now at Milan Malpensa. Smart move to get the other containers out of the way before fire spread. If cause was lithium battery glad fire was there and not on plane pic.twitter.com/hlcleDC0Ak — Jon Sopel (@jonsopel) August 16, 2026 Despite the drama, the flight departed for London Heathrow later on Sunday, albeit with a delay of nearly two and a half hours. In a statement, a spokesperson for British Airways told us: “We’re aware of a small number of checked bags that were damaged by fire while on the ground at Milan Malpensa Airport. The incident was quickly dealt with, and there were no injuries or impact to any flights.” “We've been in contact with the small number of customers whose bags are affected to apologise and provide support. We are working closely with our partners, and an investigation is underway to establish the cause.” While the cause of the fire has not been confirmed, there is suspicion that a lithium battery, such as a power bank, may have been involved. Passengers have long been banned from placing power banks and other lithium batteries in checked luggage, although the message doesn’t always seem to get through. Lithium batteries are made up of lots of power cells, which can make them prone to something called ‘thermal runaway.’ When one cell overheats, it can quickly spread from one cell to the next until the entire battery bursts into flames. Once alight, it can be difficult to put out a lithium battery fire, although the risk is far greater if the battery is in the cargo hold of a plane, rather than taken onboard in the passenger cabin. Although there are automated extinguishing systems in the cargo hold, there is no guarantee that they would be effective against a ferocious lithium battery fire. But if the power bank is in the passenger cabin, a thermal runway can be quickly detected and dealt with by submerging it in water or placing it in a special fire containment bag. To make it easier to identify lithium batteries that are overheating, earlier this year, British Airways banned passengers from storing power banks in overhead lockers, saying that they had to be easily accessible for the duration of the flight. BA’s new policy is based on recommendations from the International Air Transportatio