Former KLM CEO Linked to Power Bank Fire That Forced Plane Back to Amsterdam

A KLM flight bound for Curaçao turned back to Amsterdam on Thursday after a power bank caught fire in the business-class cabin—a disruption that passenger accounts later linked to the airline’s former chief executive, Camiel Eurlings.

Flight KL735 had been traveling from Amsterdam to Curaçao when the device reportedly produced a loud bang and flames near a seat. Cabin crew extinguished the fire, but the pilots returned the Boeing 777 to Schiphol as a precaution. The aircraft landed safely after roughly five and a half hours in the air, according to Dutch reporting.

Multiple passengers told RTL Nieuws that the power bank belonged to Eurlings, who led KLM as president and chief executive before leaving the role in 2014. One passenger said the device had been charging when it caught fire and that Eurlings suffered minor injuries. KLM has declined to identify the passenger, citing privacy, and said it was investigating the incident.

That distinction matters. The available reporting does not show that Eurlings intentionally started a fire. The reported allegation is narrower: that a power bank linked to him may have been charging in violation of KLM’s onboard rules. Calling the event deliberate arson would go beyond the evidence currently available.

KLM permits passengers to carry power banks but does not allow them to be used or charged during a flight. The restriction reflects a broader aviation concern: lithium-ion batteries can overheat rapidly, produce smoke and flames, and in some cases reignite after appearing to be extinguished. Keeping such devices where crew can see and reach them is one reason airlines place strict limits on their use in the cabin.

The flight’s return also illustrates why crews treat even a contained battery fire seriously. A small device can create smoke, damage seats or cabin panels, and complicate a long overwater flight. Returning to the departure airport gave the airline access to its own maintenance facilities and avoided continuing across the Atlantic with an unresolved safety concern.

KLM arranged hotel accommodation for the 322 passengers, who continued their journey on another aircraft the following morning, according to reports. The company’s investigation is expected to establish whether the power bank was charging, what caused it to fail, and whether any additional safety measures are warranted.

For now, the clearest conclusion is not that a former airline chief deliberately set a fire aboard his aircraft. It is that an apparently accidental battery incident—possibly involving a device being used against airline rules—was serious enough to reverse a transatlantic flight.