The FAA Doesnt Want You to Use the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on Planes

Travel + Leisure Staff
Updated

Some airlines have already told passengers not to use or charge the phone on flights.

Airline passengers with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 should steer clear of using them on planes, the Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday.

The FAA released a statement warning passengers not to charge or even turn on the Galaxy Note 7 on board a flight.

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 wrote in its statement.

At the moment, the FAAs stance on the new phone is just a warning and not an all-out ban. The warning comes after three Australian airlinesincluding Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australiabanned their passengers from using or charging the phone during flights.

Samsung issued a global recall of the devices last week after reports emerged that the phone was faulty, prone to melting and explosion. At least 35 cases of the phone exploding have been reported around the world since its release three weeks ago. It is estimated that 24 out of every 1 million devices have the faulty battery.

Last year, the FAA banned passengers from packing lithium ion batteries in checked luggage because of the possibility of ignition. Hoverboards were also banned on board aircraft shortly after for their unreliable, exploding batteries.

For more information about which types of batteries are allowed onboard aircraft, check out the FAAs guidelines.

Cailey Rizzo writes about travel, art and culture and is the founding editor of The Local Dive. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @misscaileyanne.

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