IBTimes UK had reported earlier that although Samsung had recalled almost 2.5 million units of the Galaxy Note 7, it did not go through the US Consumer Product Safety Commission for the recall which implies that the recall is technically unofficial.
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Dean Cabena, a Qantas passenger traveling from Perth to Sydney, tweeted that the Australian carrier announced on flight that charging of Samsung Note 7 on the aircraft would not be allowed.
As a solution, folks at Samsung Australia are encouraging Galaxy Note 7 users to return their devices at the point of purchase, and use an alternative smartphone till a permanent answer to the explosion issue comes to the fore.
Although customers will still be able to bring the phones on flights, the ban extends to the phones being plugged in to flight entertainment systems where USB ports are available. But the South Korean-based company was forced into an embarrassing recall following reports that some phones were going up in flames while charging.
Samsung, the world’s biggest smart phone manufacturer, has sold 2.5m Galaxy Note 7s already.
Samsung Australia said in a statement that it had liaised with Qantas and Virgin Australia following the recall.
“While we have found a low-risk probability of the issue occurring, at Samsung we believe that your safety is paramount and we would prefer you not to take any risks”, it said.
The FAA has not yet come to a final decision and United States airlines like Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines have denied they are banning the device.
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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.
