An overheated powerbank sparked panic among passengers when it caught fire mid-air on a flight from Hong Kong to Singapore.

Passengers alerted cabin crew after noticing a strong smell of burning as Scoot flight TR939 prepared to land at Singapore Changi Airport on Saturday, November 22.

Authorities found the charging device with a small flame in the cabin, which was quickly extinguished by airline staff.

Footage shows crew members attending to the incident while passengers remained seated, watching as the situation was brought under control.

Tracking data shows the plane departed Hong Kong International Airport at 5:48 pm. Airport emergency services were on standby as the Airbus A321 landed safely after a journey of just over three hours.

Scoot, the budget arm of Singapore Airlines, said: 'All passengers and crew disembarked normally after the aircraft landed uneventfully in Singapore at 9:06 pm.

'Scoot sincerely apologises for the disruption and inconvenience caused. The safety of our customers and crew remains our top priority.'

No injuries were reported.

Airlines only allow power banks to be carried in hand luggage, not checked baggage, due to the risk of lithium-ion batteries overheating and causing fires in the cargo hold. Most carriers set a capacity limit of 100 watt-hours (Wh), or 27,000 mAh.