A Pegasus Airlines flight preparing to depart from Ankara Esenboğa Airport to İzmir was evacuated on the taxiway today after smoke began billowing from a passenger’s powerbank, triggering an emergency security response.

The incident occurred just before takeoff, causing brief panic among the passengers on board.

According to airport officials, boarding had been completed and the aircraft was already taxiing toward the runway when cabin crew noticed smoke rising from a passenger's portable charger.

The flight crew immediately contacted the Esenboğa Air Traffic Control Tower to report the hazard. In strict accordance with aviation safety regulations, the pilots halted the aircraft on the taxiway, and the flight crew initiated an emergency precautionary evacuation of all passengers.

The incident has once again turned the spotlight on the potential dangers of lithium-ion batteries in commercial aviation.

The General Directorate of Civil Aviation (SHGM) strictly prohibits the charging of portable powerbanks inside aircraft cabins due to the known risk of thermal runaway and fire.

While powerbanks are generally required to be carried in cabin baggage rather than checked luggage so that potential fires can be spotted and managed, aviation authorities continue to urge passengers to exercise extreme caution and follow strict onboard electronic policies to ensure flight safety. (ILKHA)