Firefighters meet Virgin Australia flight after vape smoke at Melbourne airport

A Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to Melbourne was met by firefighters after smoke was seen coming from a vape on board. Flight VA 328 landed safely and all passengers disembarked normally after a vape “activated” in the cabin shortly before landing at about 4pm on Sunday afternoon in Melbourne, Melbourne airport said.

A passenger alerted the crew when vapour and smoke were seen coming from the device, and the crew commenced the process of containing the unit. The Boeing 737’s pilots had declared a “pan”, a call used to signify a situation less urgent than a mayday but which still requires an aircraft to receive expedited arrival.

Firefighters followed the aircraft to the gate as a precaution and removed the device. Vapes contain small lithium batteries which can spark fires when damaged or overheating, known as “thermal runaway”. Dr Adam Best, who specialises in advanced lithium battery technologies at the CSIRO, said vape batteries are far more prone to failure than those in power banks.

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