If you own a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and plan to take a flight soon, you might need to turn in that recalled phone before heading to the airport: The Federal Aviation Administration is reportedly issuing a ban today that would prohibit the devices from all flights starting Saturday.
Bloomberg, citing sources close to the matter, reports that the FAA will expand its current restriction of the devices following Samsung’s all-out recall, and announcement that it would stop making the phones altogether.
Under the forthcoming ban, no Note 7 device will be allowed on board an aircraft even if the device is powered down.
Back in September, aviation regulators ordered passengers and airlines to power off all Note 7s that were brought on board, and asked them to not charging the devices in air.
Soon after, passengers reported that airlines had been either checking their phones or verbally instructing them to power-down the phones.
Still, that didn’t put an end to the issues. The most recent incident occurred last week when a Southwest Airlines flight had to be evacuated when a replacement Note 7 began to spew smoke and fire.
News of the impending ban comes after some airlines began using “fire containment bags” to stow the phones in flight.
The bags are bright red, made of fire-resistant materials, and are designed to hold not just phones but laptops or tablets as well. They close with velcro and heavy zippers, and can withstand temperatures up to 3,200° F (1760° C). So far, Alaska Airlines, Virgin America, and Delta have started using the bags.
U.S. to Ban All Samsung Note 7 Phones on Airline Flights [Bloomberg]
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist
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