• A passenger's battery charger caught fire on a JetBlue flight from Florida to the Bahamas.
• Crew on the Airbus A320-200 put out the fire, which caused smoke in the cabin.
• The Bahamas Air Accident Investigation Authority said it was investigating the incident.

Smoke and flames erupted in the cabin of a JetBlue flight last month after a passenger's portable charger overheated and caught fire in their carry-on luggage.

The flight on April 25, operated by an Airbus A320-200 aircraft, took off from Fort Lauderdale International Airport bound for Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, the Bahamas.

The Bahamas Air Accident Investigation Authority said the plane was about 50 miles from Nassau when a portable charging device ignited, resulting in smoke and flames in the cabin.

Crew put out the fire with water and placed the device in the trash bin of the aircraft's front bathroom, the authority said on its website.

The pilots then contacted air traffic control to advise them of the emergency situation.

The flight landed safely and there were no injuries or serious damage.

The AAIA is investigating the incident, which was first reported by Simple Flying.

It's just another example of the risks posed in the air by rechargeable batteries. They are commonly found in chargers and other electronic devices and can become dangerous if they overheat.

In March last year a Breeze Airways flight made an emergency landing after a passenger's laptop caught fire.

FAA regulations state that devices containing lithium ion or lithium metal batteries — covering everything from laptops and smartphones to electric skateboards — should be put in your carry-on, rather than hold baggage.

JetBlue did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• New Zealand is relaxing its "golden visa" rules in an effort to lure investors, its government said on Sunday.
• The visa is set to become "simpler and more flexible," Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said.
• New Zealand's economy has struggled in recent years, with a recession and rising unemployment in 2024.

New Zealand's government announced Sunday that it would be making changes to its so-called "golden visa" in an attempt to lure more wealthy migrants to its shores.

Erica Stanford, the country's Immigration Minister, said the Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa would become "simpler and more flexible" to encourage investors to choose New Zealand for their "capital, skills, and international connections" and as a place to "build a life."

Following the changes, which are set to take effect from April 1, two new investment categories — "Growth" and "Balanced" — will replace the "current complex weighting system for the AIP."

The "Growth" category will apply to those making "higher-risk investments" such as direct investments in local businesses. It will require a minimum investment of NZ$5 million (around $2.8 million) for a minimum of three years.

The "Balanced" category will focus on mixed investments and will require a minimum investment of NZ$10 million (roughly $5.7 million) over five years.

The new rules will also see the removal of the English language requirement.

"Incentivising, simplifying and broadening the investment offerings will make New Zealand more attractive and accessible to more foreign high-value investors," Stanford said. "These changes will turbocharge our economic growth, bringing brighter days ahead for all Kiwis."

Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis added: "We should be rolling out the welcome mat and encouraging investor migrants to choose New Zealand as a destination for their capital."

New Zealand's economy has struggled in recent years, slipping into a technical recession in the third quarter of 2024 and seeing rising unemployment.

HSBC's chief economist for New Zealand and Australia, Paul Bloxham, said in January that the bank's estimates suggested New Zealand's economy had the largest contraction in GDP among developed nations in 2024, per RNZ.

It's not the first time New Zealand has tweaked its visa policies to try to aid its embattled economy.

In late January, the country announced a new "digital nomad" initiative allowing tourists to work remotely for a foreign employer while vacationing.

"Making the country more attractive to 'digital nomads' — people who work remotely while travelling — will boost New Zealand's attractiveness as a destination," Willis said in a statement at the time.