KLM flight returns after power bank fire mid-Atlantic

A KLM flight from Amsterdam to Curaçao was forced to return to the Netherlands on Thursday after a passenger's power bank caught fire mid-flight, prompting an emergency landing and raising questions about onboard safety protocols. Flight KL735, a Boeing 777, was approximately five and a half hours into its journey over the Atlantic Ocean when the portable charger overheated and ignited in the business class cabin. The crew extinguished the blaze, and the pilots decided to return to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport as a precaution. The aircraft landed safely, and passengers were rebooked on a flight scheduled for Friday morning. KLM confirmed the incident and stated that one passenger sustained burn injuries. The airline declined to identify the individual, citing privacy reasons. However, multiple reports, citing Dutch media and passenger accounts, identified the passenger as former KLM CEO Camiel Eurlings. According to these reports, Eurlings was charging the device against airline policy when he fell asleep, and the power bank subsequently exploded. Witnesses described a sudden bang followed by flames erupting above a seat.