Now that Samsung has issued a mass recall for the Galaxy Note 7, Australian airlines Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia are advising passengers to refrain from using their devices on board.
Following numerous reports of exploding batteries, the decision for the ban comes directly from the airlines and not from the country’s aviation authorities.
hile Note 7 owners can still carry their phones with them, Quantas told Reuters it’s “requesting passengers who own them not [to] switch on or charge them in flight.”
@latikambourke Qantas made announcement on flight today…no charging Samsung Note 7 on plane
— Dean Cabena (@dcabena77) September 8, 2016
Australian airlines are not the only ones worried about Samsung’s faulty devices, however.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reportedly considering banning all Note 7 phones on flights too. But unlike Australia, the FAA is contemplating taking far more drastic measures.
“If the device is recalled by the manufacturer, airline crew and passengers will not be able to bring recalled batteries or electronics that contain recalled batteries in the cabin of an aircraft, or in carry-on and checked baggage.”
The only reason the FAA hasn’t enforced the ban yet is because Samsung’s recall is technically not entirely official, as it wasn’t properly coordinated with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). But this could quickly change once the CPSC gets involved in the affair.
Following the recall, Samsung is temporarily withholding sales of the Note 7.
Still, there are reportedly between one and 2.5 million possibly hazardous devices out there. So if you happen to own one – I’d suggest swapping it as soon as possible unless you want to risk getting booted off your flight once .
