A British Airways flight from Gatwick to Italy was forced to return to the airport after a portable phone charger reportedly exploded and caught fire shortly after take-off, leaving a passenger with burns.

The incident happened on Thursday morning, around 15 minutes after the flight departed from Gatwick Airport bound for Bari, southern Italy.

The power bank is understood to have ignited in a male passenger’s pocket, triggering alarm on board as flames were seen in the aircraft’s aisle.

One passenger reportedly heard someone shout “fire” before noticing a burning smell and seeing flames further down the cabin.

Crew tackle fire as passenger suffers burns

Cabin crew members quickly responded to the incident, assisting the injured passenger and extinguishing the fire before making the device safe.

The man is understood to have suffered burns requiring medical treatment. Other passengers reportedly sought treatment for possible smoke inhalation.

The aircraft subsequently returned to Gatwick Airport, disrupting passengers’ travel plans.

One passenger later described the experience as the “scariest moment” of her life in a post shared online after the aircraft landed.

British Airways issues statement

A British Airways spokesperson said: “Safety is always our top priority and our flight landed back at Gatwick following this incident.

“We’re extremely grateful for the actions of our crew on the flight to resolve the issue swiftly and safely.

“We’re sorry to our customers for the delay to their travel plans and thank them for bearing with us.”