It is advised not to charge them on board the aircraft and also not to stow them in any checked baggage.
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USA air-safety regulators have taken the unusual step of singling out Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy Note 7 smartphone as a potential airborne fire hazard, urging passengers to avoid using the devices entirely on board airliners.
Australia’s aviation regulator said on Friday it is working with airlines and foreign aviation safety regulators “to ensure that recalled devices are treated and carried safely”. Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Singapore Airlines and Tiger Airways have issued a formal ban on using or charging Samsung Galaxy Note 7 as a precautionary measure. Some of the explosions have caused serious damage, such as for one family in Florida, whose Jeep was destroyed by the fire caused by the phone.
For customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks. Firstly, it reiterates that Samsung has found a battery cell issue with the device. “As a follow-up of the battery issue, we chose to temporarily stop using Samsung SDI’s battery for Galaxy Note 7”, the Korean Herald reported, citing sources from Samsung Electronics. The move is extremely atypical since the body doesn’t usually go out of its way to warn passengers against a specific product. Now that the FAA has asked travelers not to use their Notes, some travelers welcome the warning while others think it’s too much. Besides, Samsung also issued a statement suggesting its customers to temporarily stop using the phone.
More than 35 cases of the exploding battery defect have been reported since the phone, which retails for $1,035, was launched on August 19.
In February the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations’ agency, banned lithium-ion batteries from checked luggage following concerns from pilots and plane makers that they are a fire risk.
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Lithium batteries are ubiquitous in consumer electronic devices.
