Swiss diverted flight LX52 from Zurich to Boston to Dublin on Sunday after smoke developed in the cabin over the Atlantic, forcing the Airbus A330-300 to land safely in Ireland after about five hours in the air. The aircraft, registered HB-JHN, carried 206 passengers and 12 crew members, and emergency services met it on arrival.
Swiss identified an overheated power bank in the business class cabin as the source of the smoke. The crew declared a Mayday to secure priority for landing, while the airline arranged hotel accommodation overnight and was organising onward travel for affected passengers. The A330 was due to return to Zurich empty after inspection.
The diversion came days after another battery-related disruption on a Swiss transatlantic service, adding to scrutiny of lithium battery risks in commercial cabins. Power banks and other portable charging devices have become a growing operational concern for airlines because overheating can quickly produce smoke in a confined cabin environment.