The use of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones has been banned onboard national airlines in the UAE, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has said.
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Samsung last week has agreed to replace every single Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, after at least 35 reports that the phone’s batteries could overheat and explode.
“The powering up and charging of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile phones is prohibited on all our flights”, a Singapore Air spokesman said.
With many countries having prohibited airline passengers from charging their Samsung Galaxy Note 7’s aboard flights or putting them in checked baggage, the Vietnamese aviation watchdog has chose to follow suit as of last weekend.
PIA has advised its passengers not to carry Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices, not even in their check-in luggage to ensure passenger safety. This came after various reports of the phone catching fire appeared in the news.
Customers returning their handset under Galaxy Note 7 Exchange program will be offered $25 gift card by Samsung. Airlines across the globe asked commuters to keep their phones in checked baggage, while others banned the use of the device on flights. The CPSC also wishes to determine whether a replacement Galaxy Note 7 is an acceptable solution for the matter.
In the meantime, if you bought a Galaxy Note7, you should stop using it and contact your place of purchase for a replacement phone, meaning a phone with a different model.
ATL is also Apple’s main supplier for iPhone batteries. After being criticized for not issuing an official recall, Samsung now says that it is working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
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Over 16 trillion won ($14.3 billion) was wiped off Samsung’s market capitalization amid increased concern from investors over the potential damage that the recall could cause to the world’s largest smartphone maker by market share.
