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Woman Suffers Burns as Headphones Catch Fire During Flight to Australia

On a recent flight from Beijing to Melbourne, a passenger was listening to music using a pair of her own battery-operated headphones.
About two hours into the flight while sleeping, the passenger heard a loud explosion. “As I went to turn around I felt burning on my face,” she said. “I just grabbed my face which caused the headphones to go around my neck.

“I continued to feel burning so I grabbed them off and threw them on the floor. They were sparking and had small amounts of fire.

As I went to stamp my foot on them the flight attendants were already there with a bucket of water to pour on them. They put them into the bucket at the rear of the plane.” The battery and cover were both melted and stuck to the floor of the aircraft.

Ref; The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB)

Africa

Qantas to deploy A380s to Africa for the first time

Qantas is making history today as its inaugural Airbus A380 flight takes off for Johannesburg, marking the first time the national carrier has operated the Superjumbo to Africa.

This monumental move means up to six flights per week, nearly doubling the capacity between Australia and Africa, adding an impressive 130,000 seats annually. The qantas A380 is capable of carrying 485 passengers across four luxurious cabins. This deployment marks the return of First Class on this route, a feature not seen since 2018.

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The First Class section offers 14 exclusive suites arranged in a spacious 1-1-1 configuration, each converting into a 212-centimeter bed. Additionally, Premium Economy seats are more than doubling, providing even more options for travelers.

Passengers in First and Business Class can enjoy the upper deck lounge, featuring booth-style seating for 10 people, a self-service bar, and an opportunity to order signature drinks and snacks.

Qantas’ history with South Africa dates back to 1948 when the airline first touched down in Johannesburg with a Lancastrian survey flight from Sydney. The journey evolved over the years, transitioning from 66-hour flights on the Lockheed Constellation L-749A—affectionately known as the “Wallaby Route“—to today’s nonstop journeys across the southern Indian Ocean. This is the first airbus a380 capacity flight operated by any airline over this route, a significant milestone for aviation.

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Looking ahead, Qantas plans to relaunch direct flights from Perth to Johannesburg in mid-2025, pending border agency approvals. Alongside this expansion, Qantas has announced a new codeshare partnership with Johannesburg-based Airlink, which will dramatically extend its reach across South Africa.

This partnership allows seamless travel between Qantas flights to Johannesburg and nine other South African destinations, including Cape Town, Durban, and Hoedspruit, with plans to expand to more destinations in the near future.

Tickets for the A380 flights are now available on the Qantas website and via travel agents, with codeshare connections on Airlink ready for travel from late October 2024. All Qantas international fares come with checked baggage, meals, beverages, and qantas entertainment movie list ensuring a comfortable journey for every passenger.