SriLankan Airlines has completely banned the use or charging of Samsung’s latest Galaxy Note7 smartphone on board all its flights with immediate effect until further notice, following Samsung suspending its sales in the wake of several incidents of phone batteries catching fire.
The ban applies to turning on or charging any Samsung Galaxy Note7 on board, or shipping it in checked-in luggage and cargo. Passengers are also being advised of the ban through on-board announcements and notices at airport check-in counters.
Several other airlines and aviation authorities have also announced similar bans. The international Air Transport Association (IATA) of which SriLankan Airlines is a member and United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have also issued directives banning the use and charging of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones on flights.
The FAA in a statement said: “In light of recent incidents and concerns raised by Samsung about its Galaxy Note7 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.”
Samsung has postponed the launch of the Galaxy Note7 in India and a statement on its website said: “In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue. To date there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have delayed sales of Galaxy Note7 in India.”