Aviation’s Next Disaster Could Be In Your Carry-On

The culprit was small enough to fit in a pocket, but the consequences were big enough to turn a Boeing 777 around over the Atlantic. On September 17, a portable charger caught fire aboard KLM flight 735 from Amsterdam to Curaçao. The crew extinguished the flames and the jet returned safely to the Dutch capital. One person was injured and the incident led to knock-on cancellations, overnight accommodation for hundreds of passengers, and the plane being out of service until September 20. An intriguing twist soon followed when Dutch media reported that the device allegedly belonged to Camiel Eurlings, KLM's former chief executive. The airline has declined to identify the passenger and Eurlings did not respond to Skift’s request for comment. On November 4, the Dutch Safety Board opened an independent investigation into the incident. The reported CEO connection attracted international tabloid attention, but the passenger's identity is secondary to a broa