Last Thursday, the USA aviation safety officials warned airline passengers not to turn on or charge a new-model Samsung smartphone during flights following numerous reports of the devices catching fire.
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Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has stopped passengers from carrying the recently-launched Samsung Galaxy Note 7, following reports of the smartphone’s batteries exploding, officials said on Sunday.
All Samsung Galaxy Note 7 units – whether used or brand new – will not be accepted as PAL cargo shipment, it added. The risk the Galaxy Note 7 could pose has even resulted in several airlines banning its use on their planes.
Meanwhile, the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has also prohibited the use of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones during flights operated by the country’s national carriers, reported WAM. It’s worth pointing out that, according to Samsung, less than 0.1% of the Note 7 phablets were packed with faulty batteries. “We will voluntarily replace your Galaxy Note 7 device with a new one, beginning on September 19th”, the company said in a statement. “However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7”, the world’s largest smartphone maker said in a statement on Saturday. In the interim, consumers can return their Note 7 for another device.
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The smartphone company said battery problems led to the phones catching fire, adding that it was hard to sort out the affected phones among the already sold ones.
