Vape smoke prompts pan call on Virgin Australia flight

A Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to Melbourne issued a pan call after a vape activated in the cabin during descent and smoke was seen coming from the device. A Melbourne airport spokesperson said a passenger alerted crew, emergency services were placed on standby, and the Boeing 737 landed safely and taxied to the gate where passengers disembarked normally.

Aviation Rescue firefighters followed the aircraft as a precaution and subsequently removed the device. A pan call is less urgent than a mayday call but describes a situation that requires an aircraft to receive expedited arrival, such as an in‑flight medical emergency.

Vapes are powered by lithium‑ion batteries, and incidents involving these batteries have increased in recent years. Last year a fire on a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Hobart was believed to have been caused by a power bank in carry‑on luggage, and in 2023 an incorrectly disposed vape caused a fire in a recycling truck in Benalla.

Australia, Brisbane to Melbourne

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