Samsung Note 7 flight ban spreading worldwide
Airlines around the world have prohibited the carrying of Samsung’s troubled Galaxy Note 7 smartphone over fire risks posed by the device. This follows last week’s Note 7 flight ban in the United States.
Carriers in Australia, Asia and Europe put the phone on a prohibited list over the weekend. AirAsia, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Malaysia Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Air New Zealand have all banned the smartphone on their flights. Travelers can no longer carry the device in checked bags or carry-on luggage.
German carrier Air Berlin has banned the smartphones with immediate effect. Rival Lufthansa said the device was banned on its flights to the US and will be prohibited across all flights soon.
Japan’s transport ministry has ordered airlines to completely bar the Note 7 from flights, including the country’s largest operators All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines. Those ignoring the ban will have their smartphones confiscated with the possibility of further punitive measures.
The Hong Kong International Airport and Canadian aviation authorities have also joined the ban. Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority said it would block passengers from boarding planes with phones that have caught fire numerous times.
On Friday, the US Department of Transportation along with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an emergency order to keep the Note7 off any and all planes.
The FAA said flying with the device will be now considered a federal crime and passengers who bring a Note 7 onto a plane will be "subject to civil penalties of up to $179,933 for each violation.”
Up in smoke? Samsung halts Galaxy Note 7 productions over reports of new explosions https://t.co/zLlPM0jo1Mpic.twitter.com/D8j6STJQj4
— RT (@RT_com) October 10, 2016
Samsung announced last week it was scrapping the entire Note 7 production line less than two months after the launch due to safety considerations.
READ MORE: Samsung losses to exceed $5bn over Note 7 failure
In September, the South Korean tech giant announced a global recall of at least 2.5 million phones due to faulty batteries that could ignite. However, after assuring customers it had fixed the problem, reports of overheating and fires continued.
Samsung said it is expecting a loss of $5.4 billion from the cancellation of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones.
