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Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Recall: Phone Could Explode During Flight Warn Aviation Officials

By Josh Moorcroft
Published on: 22:04 PST, Sep 8, 2016

The launch of Samsung’s latest handset, the Galaxy Note 7, has been largely overshadowed by reports of the phone setting on fire. Now, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned Galaxy Note 7 users against switching on or charging their device whilst onboard flights. The FAA has also advised against packing the phones into checked luggage, with a very real risk that users of Samsung’s latest handset could find their phone exploding during a flight.

Samsung began recalling the Galaxy Note 7 last week after reports emerged of the device exploding during or after charging. According to the BBC News, the aforementioned warning from the Federal Aviation Administration comes following Qantas and Virgin Australia’s decision to warn passengers against charging their Galaxy Note 7 during flight. The FAA released a statement saying:

“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”.

Cases of the Galaxy Note 7 exploding whilst in use are because of an internal battery issue, Samsung has said. The South Korean manufacturer isn’t certain as to which devices are affected by the battery problem and has issued a complete recall across the globe, promising to replace any handsets already bought.

Qantas said on Thursday it was “requesting that passengers who own [a Galaxy Note 7] do not switch on or charge them in-flight.” Whilst the FAA is recommending that owners of the phone go one step further by ensuring that they don’t stow them in any checked baggage. That being said, according to Digital Spy, the FAA confirmed their advice is entirely precautionary, with no reports of in-flight incidents involving the Galaxy Note 7. However, the FAA are ultimately responsible for flight safety, which suggests their cautious approach here.

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Despite explosion incidents, the release of the Galaxy Note 7 has been largely successful for Samsung. Over 2.5 million devices have been shipped since launch, with Samsung saying that it hopes to have replacement devices ready within the next two weeks. However, by that time, Apple’s new iPhone 7 will also have been released, posing serious competition for Samsung.

Whilst Samsung has been praised for acting swiftly on the issue, their phones catching fire and exploding has still been a publicity nightmare for Samsung. The launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was supposed to seamlessly showcase Samsung’s latest technology and overshadow the release of the iPhone 7. However, it’s had quite the opposite effect. South Korea-listed shares of Samsung Electronics were down close to three percent in early Friday trade, with the perception of Samsung’s brand thought to have been lowered considerably as a result of the incident.

That being said, the announcement of Apple’s latest handset hasn’t been completely seamless either. The technology firm has caused controversy with a decision to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack from their latest handset, forcing users into purchasing wireless headphones or using the included adapter. It’s safe to assume that Samsung will be undeniably pleased by Apple’s woes, taking some of the spotlight away from their ongoing battery crisis with the Galaxy Note 7.

It appears that even two of the leading technology manufacturers on the planet aren’t immune from controversy. However, the issue of the Galaxy Note 7 catching fire and exploding doesn’t appear to be one that will go away for Samsung.

[Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images]

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