A TAP Air Portugal flight from Lisbon to Stockholm declared an emergency over the Bay of Biscay on Tuesday 27 October. The crew diverted the Airbus A320neo to Nantes in western France, where it landed safely. Early reports suggest that an electronic cigarette battery caught fire in the cabin.
Rapid Descent After Leaving Lisbon
Flight TP780 took off from Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport at 08:25 local time, 20 minutes behind its scheduled 08:05 departure. The service normally takes just under four and a half hours to reach Stockholm Arlanda. TAP operates the Lisbon to Stockholm route several times a week, usually with A320 family aircraft.
According to Flightradar24, the aircraft then climbed to 34,000 feet and tracked north across Spain towards the French coast.
Around an hour after leaving Lisbon, however, the crew began a sharp descent. At times, the jet dropped at more than 5,000 feet per minute.
Four minutes later, the A320neo started squawking 7700, the universal transponder code for a general emergency. At that point, it was passing 19,500 feet roughly 125 miles south west of Nantes.
Nantes was a logical choice, since it sat close to the aircraft’s existing track towards northern Europe. The crew then levelled off at 10,000 feet and set up for an approach into Nantes Atlantique Airport.
Electronic Cigarette Believed to Be the Cause
The Flight Emergency account run by AirNav Radar reported that the diversion from the Lisbon-originated flight followed what is believed to be an electronic cigarette battery catching fire. Similarly, France 3 Pays de la Loire reported that an overheating electronic cigarette released smoke into the cabin.
So far, details of how the cabin crew dealt with the device have not emerged.
Lithium batteries power almost every vape on the market. When damaged or faulty, these cells can overheat rapidly and enter thermal runaway, releasing smoke, flames and toxic fumes.
For this reason, airlines require passengers to keep electronic cigarettes in their cabin baggage rather than the hold. As a result, crews can spot and tackle a problem quickly. Even so, smoke in the cabin remains one of the most serious situations a crew can face, so diverting to the nearest suitable airport is standard practice.
Passengers Remain Onboard in Nantes
The A320neo touched down in Nantes at 10:51 local time, roughly 22 minutes after the emergency squawk. In total, it spent one hour and 26 minutes in the air after leaving Lisbon. Fire crews met the aircraft as soon as it arrived.
Nantes Atlantique Airport told France 3 that nobody was injured and that all 172 passengers stayed on board. Meanwhile, engineers carried out technical checks on the aircraft.
Once those checks were complete, the same jet left Nantes at 12:50 local time to continue the Lisbon to Stockholm journey. Flightradar24 data showed it due into Stockholm Arlanda at around 15:00 local time, roughly 90 minutes later than planned.
A Young Jet in TAP’s Lisbon Fleet
TAP Air Portugal operated the service with CS-TVO, an Airbus A320-251N with manufacturer serial number 12211. The aircraft first flew in early November 2024 under the Airbus test registration F-WWIS. TAP then took delivery later that month, so the jet is just under two years old.
CS-TVO is one of the newer A320neos in the fleet. Like the rest of TAP’s A320neo fleet, it flies mainly on European routes from Lisbon. You can view its full history on Planespotters.
Lithium battery events remain a growing concern for airlines and regulators worldwide. You can follow emergencies like this one as they happen on The Aviation Hub’s Squawk 7700 page.
Continue to follow The Aviation Hub for more analysis and insight.
Advertise with us Your brand, in front of an aviation audience Home page and in-article placements, sold directly, one advertiser per slot. From £250 a year. See the rates
