The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was released just over a month ago and it was doing extremely well, with a reported amount of 2.5 million units shipped worldwide. While sales were more than what the South Korean company expected, that all changed when numerous reports surfaced around the globe, stating that several Galaxy Note 7 units have exploded while charging. Soon after, Samsung did the right thing and recalled Galaxy Note 7 units, while the company had also offered refunds and exchanges for Galaxy Note 7 handsets. Samsung went on to put the blame on the phablet’s battery.
With so many units around the world, some owners are bound to board flights, be it a short haul or a long haul flight. The possibility of a Galaxy Note 7 exploding in mid-air has pushed the US Federal Aviation Administration, or better known as the FAA, to advise passengers to avoid turning on or charging their Galaxy Note 7’s on flights. The FAA went on to state that passengers should not stow the Galaxy Note 7 in checked-in luggage, due to concerns that the device may catch on fire or explode during flights. Just a few days back, it was reported that the FAA was undecided on whether or not the Galaxy Note 7 should be banned from flights, but it seems that the FAA did not apply an outright ban, and instead, it has just advised passengers concerning the usage of the device during flights. This means that users can no longer charge their devices via the provided USB ports or from battery packs during flights.
The FAA is not the first to issue such a warning, as three of Australia’s biggest airlines, namely Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar, have issued a similar statement, requesting all Galaxy Note 7 users to avoid charging or using their device on flights by the said airlines, though in Australia’s case, it’s more of an outright ban to use or charge Galaxy Note 7 units, rather than just an advice. At the moment, the recall of affected Galaxy Note 7 units is in progress and Samsung has promised to replace all devices that might be affected. The company seems to be confident that the issue will be solved in due time, which hopefully means that the Galaxy Note 7 will be put back on shelves soon after.