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E-cigarette catches fire on Delta Airlines flight

A Delta Airlines flight, en route from Atlanta to St Louis, was delayed earlier this week due to an e-cigarette that caught fire on board the aircraft. Fortunately all 166 passengers and crew members were evacuated safely and the fire immediately contained. 
 
Even though smoking on flights is a thing of the past, e-cigarettes are still permitted in certain cases. According to the airline’s policy e-cigarettes are allowed on board, as long as they are carried on one’s person or packed in the carry-on luggage.
 
Devices such as these can be quite dangerous due to the lithium ion batteries inside, which tend to ignite when damaged. This turned out to be exactly what happened on flight 689, as a passenger’s bag caught fire.  So far the airline has made no statement as to whether the policy on e-cigarettes will be revised. 
Written by: Flight-Dealyed.co.uk