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.
Concerns over the phone’s fire-prone batteries prompted a global recall by Samsung last week. The airlines said passengers can still bring them on board, but their use is prohibited.
“We are requesting that passengers who own them do not switch on or charge them in flight,” a Qantas spokesman said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
According to Gizmodo, the FAA is still determining whether to issue a similar ban in the United States. The fact that Samsung issued its recall on its own without going through the official process of a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall has added confusion to the matter.
“The FAA and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration are working on guidance related to this issue,” an FAA spokesperson told Gizmodo. “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.”
Samsung produced 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 phones, and about 1 million of them have been sold.
Notable explosive incidents include the report of an Australian man who was burned when his charging device exploded in his hotel room.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 explodes in Australia, injuring owner, ruining hotel room https://t.co/lHgSWAvjd6 pic.twitter.com/lXnz2oXorO
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) September 7, 2016
And a new report out of Florida in which a man posted on Facebook that his phone caused a fire that totaled his Jeep.
