Fire risk spurs action against Samsung Note 7 use on airplanes

AVIATION REGULATORS in several countries are advising against turning on or charging Samsung Electronics Co.’s new Note 7 smartphone on airline flights because its batteries can catch fire and explode. Here a Samsung employee demonstrates the water-resistant capability of a Samsung Electronics Co. Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. / BLOOMBERG NEWS/SEONGJOON CHO
AVIATION REGULATORS in several countries are advising against turning on or charging Samsung Electronics Co.’s new Note 7 smartphone on airline flights because its batteries can catch fire and explode. Here a Samsung employee demonstrates the water-resistant capability of a Samsung Electronics Co. Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. / BLOOMBERG NEWS/SEONGJOON CHO

HONG KONG – In another blow to Samsung Electronics Co.’s new Note 7 smartphone, aviation regulators in several countries are advising against turning on or charging the device on airline flights because its batteries can catch fire and explode.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a non-binding warning about the phone on Thursday. The FAA urged passengers not to place the devices in checked bags, but stopped short of a prohibition.

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation banned switching on the phones during flights. India is also prohibiting passengers from placing the devices in checked bags that aren’t carried in the cabin. Singapore Airlines Ltd. has barred travelers from powering up or charging the devices on flights, the company said in an e-mailed statement.

The European Aviation Safety Agency on Friday also urged passengers not to use or charge the phones while in flight and not to pack them in checked bags, according to the Wall Street Journal.

- Advertisement -

Samsung, based in Suwon, South Korea, is recalling all of the 2.5 million big-screen smartphones shipped since they went on sale at a cost to the company estimated at as much as $1 billion. About three dozen of the devices were found to have batteries that caught fire and exploded. The Note 7 was supposed to complete a product lineup that would go head-to-head with Apple Inc.’s new iPhones that were unveiled this week.

FAA Statement

“In light of recent incidents and concerns raised by Samsung about its Galaxy Note 7 devices, the Federal Aviation Administration strongly advises passengers not to turn on or charge these devices on board aircraft and not to stow them in any checked baggage,” the agency said late Thursday.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which has authority to order a government-enforced recall or other actions, hasn’t acted yet. If the agency were to recall the devices, that would trigger a ban on U.S. flights, according to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s website. PHMSA shares responsibility for overseeing battery shipments with FAA.

Samsung issued a press release Friday saying it was “aware” of the FAA’s statement and was expediting new shipments of the Note 7 starting this week.

“Consumer safety and peace of mind are our top priority,” the company said in the release.

The Airlines for America trade group, which represents most large U.S. carriers, said in an e-mail it is closely monitoring the situation.

No posts to display