After FAA, DGCA bans the use of Galaxy Note 7 on planes

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September 9, 2016

Concerned over the growing battery explosion fears in Samsung's premium device Galaxy Note 7, DGCA on Friday banned use/carriage of the phone on flights. It also said that if it has to be carried, it has to be in switch-off mode.

This comes after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning not to charge or switch on Note 7 on board aircraft.

September 9, 2016

Concerned over the growing battery explosion fears in Samsung's premium device Galaxy Note 7, DGCA on Friday banned use/carriage of the phone on flights. It also said that if it has to be carried, it has to be in switch-off mode.

This comes after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning not to charge or switch on Note 7 on board aircraft.

"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 FAA said in a statement on Friday.

The unusual warning adds to the headache for Samsung, the world's biggest smartphone marker, as it scrambles to replace millions of Note 7 phones around the world.

Some international airlines have already taken steps to stop people from using the devices on their aircraft. Singapore Airlines, Qantas and Virgin Australia say they are telling passengers not to turn on Note 7s or charge them on flights.

It wasn't immediately clear how major US airlines would respond to the announcement by the FAA, which has previously warned that fires caused by the type of batteries found in cellphones can be very difficult to extinguish aboard planes, CNN reported.

Delta (DAL) said in a statement that it would "comply with any directive and are studying this matter." American (AAL) said it was "in touch with the FAA" regarding the issue.

Korean Air, the flag carrier in Samsung's home market of South Korea, said it does not so far have any plans to restrict use of the Note 7 on its planes. It said South Korean transportation ministry officials had met with Samsung representatives and did not issue any guidance regarding the phone afterward.

Samsung said a week ago that it was halting sales of the Note 7 and would recall 2.5 million devices in 10 countries, including South Korea and the US. The company will replace them with new Note 7 phones.

Samsung was responding to dozens of complaints from customers that their phones had caught fire while charging. It said it had investigated the issue and found a problem with the batteries in a small number of Note 7 devices. The embarrassing announcement came just two weeks after the flagship phone's release and days ahead of the unveiling of rival Apple's iPhone 7.


Courtesy: Financial Express