A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Curaçao was forced to turn back over the Atlantic after a power bank caught fire in the business class cabin on Thursday. The device allegedly belonged to former KLM President and CEO Camiel Eurlings, who reportedly sustained minor injuries when it exploded approximately five-and-a-half hours into the journey. Cabin crew extinguished the fire and the aircraft safely returned to Amsterdam, with passengers rebooked on a flight departing the following morning.

KLM policy explicitly prohibits passengers from using or charging power banks with lithium batteries during flights, citing safety concerns from the Federal Aviation Administration regarding lithium batteries' propensity to overheat and cause fire. The incident has raised questions about whether airline staff and former executives should be held to higher safety standards, particularly given Eurlings' previous leadership role and presumed familiarity with such regulations. Although KLM declined to confirm the passenger's identity citing privacy reasons, fellow travellers described Eurlings as extremely shocked and upset about the incident.