Keeping explosive materials off of airplanes would seem to be a top priority, and given the troubles with the recently recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7, the use of that device has now been banned on Australian airlines Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia, according to Reuters.
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Samsung is teaming up with its United Kingdom partners and operators on a local recall of Galaxy Note 7 devices over safety concerns. Earlier this week, a Note 7 battery explosion at an Australian hotel caused damages worth $1,400.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 is still trying to recover from the battery fiasco. In fact, a report from South Korea stated that many customers who pre-ordered the Galaxy Note 7 wouldn’t request refunds, as they’re loyal fans and feel they couldn’t find a replacement for the device. It also applies to Jetstar, the low-priced subsidiary of Qantas. Virgin Australia was making on-board announcements before departures.
The global recall was issued after Samsung was alerted to 35 claims of faulty phones worldwide and its investigation into the matter revealed there was an issue with the battery cell. It is unknown whether flight attendants for these airlines are being trained to look out for this specific device, or whether they’ll be able to spot the differences between similar models like the Galaxy Note 5 or the Galaxy S7 Edge.
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“The FAA and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration are working on guidance related to this issue”, an FAA spokesperson told Gizmodo. It seems that Samsung didn’t initially provide any free accessories with the Galaxy Note 7 in India, as opposed to other countries where customers will receive free 256GB microSD cards.
