Ban galore for Samsung Galaxy Note 7 by airlines

ITRealms:

In what started like a minute ban by the United Arab Emirate (UAE) General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on Samsung Note 7 either on carry-on bags or on check-in luggages, the mobile device is receiving more bans from airline operators globally, ITRealms reports.

As at the time of filing this report, over five major trans-continental airlines have placed ban on Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

This is coming as Samsung Electronics has recalled some 2.7 million units of its Galaxy Note 7 discovered to be have been on sale with faulty batteries which caused some handsets to explode during charging.

The ban, ITRealms gathered was hastened by the fire-prone discovered in the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 especially at the point of charging the batteries.

GCAA in the notice of ban stated it has banned operating, charging and carrying in bags the Samsung Note 7 on board national carriers’ flights.

Although it has not been formally banned in Nigeria, but since the ban commenced a ew days ago, airlines and air safety agencies around the world have cautioned both airline operators and passengers against using this particular device on flights.

ITRealms gathered that last Friday, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urged Note 7 owners to stop using them by way of powering same device down and stop charging or using the device entirely.

CPSC alleged that the Lithium-ion batteries pack a lot of power into a small package and when these batteries overheat and burst, the results could be serious.

This consumer warning, ITRealms learnt was based on recent reports involving lithium-ion batteries in certain Note7 devices that have resulted in fires. CPSC stressed that these incidents have occurred while charging and during normal use, which has led the Commission to call for consumers to power down their Note7s.

CPSC and Samsung are working cooperatively to formally announce an official recall of the devices, as soon as possible. CPSC is working quickly to determine whether a replacement Galaxy Note7 is an acceptable remedy for Samsung or their phone carriers to provide to consumers.  

“We advise all consumers to report product safety incidents involving lithium-ion batteries in smartphones to us (CPSC) via www.SaferProducts.gov,” the official statement made available to ITRealms urged.

Further, Dubai's Emirates Airline, the largest Middle East carrier, said it will comply with immediately effect with the directive of GCAA, noting that this measure was to avoid the possibility of these devices' batteries causing fires.

Similarly, the United Arab Emirates-based Etihad Airways, has momentarily placed a ban on the use of the Galaxy Note 7 phones on board its flights, and the UAE also has two low-cost airlines, flydubai and Air Arabia that fly international routes.

In addition, the Australia's Qantas, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Australia have raised redflags on Samsung Galaxy Note 7s on their flights.

This is coming as the US and Japanese aviation authorities have urged passengers not to turn on or charge the large-screen phones on aircraft, whereas the US Federal Aviation Administration warned passengers not to stow the device in checked-in baggage.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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