BA left stinging by curry explosion at 35,000 ft

A British Airways aircraft taxis from the terminal at Manchester Airport, Manchester, northern England, in this June 22, 2006 file photo. British Airways has banned cabin crew from microwaving their own food after a curry exploded at 35,000 feet, causing around $40,000 of damage to an aircraft.

LONDON May 22 (Reuters Life!) - British Airways has banned cabin crew from microwaving their own food after a curry exploded at 35,000 feet, causing around $40,000 of damage to an aircraft.

A fire extinguisher was used to tackle the blaze on April 30 on a Heathrow to Miami flight, when the high-powered microwave ignited a ready meal that a stewardess had bought from a supermarket.

"The fire lasted only a couple of seconds," said a BA spokesman. "As a precaution a specialist extinguisher was used in the microwave. However, at no time was there any danger to passengers or the aircraft."