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Samsung Galaxy Note 7 banned from charging on SAA flights

Samsung is in a bit of a pickle after it emerged that the Galaxy Note 7’s battery has the potential to explode while charging.

The problem was so widespread that Samsung announced a worldwide recall of the device. In the meantime, several airlines have issued warnings and outright bans of the device aboard their planes. South Africa Airways joined this chorus at the weekend.

SAA has announced that from the 10th September it’s banning Galaxy Note 7 owners from charging their device on any of its flights – even though the phone isn’t available in the country yet.

“South African Airways has taken a decision to prohibit the charging of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile phones on board all its aircraft. SAA will make appropriate announcements on board to remind passengers of this restriction and our crew has been briefed as well,” SAA spokesperson Thali Thali said over the weekend.

He added however, that it doesn’t constitute a ban on the use of the phone on any of the flights, but rather just the charging of it during flight.

“This does not amount to an outright ban of the device on our flights. We trust that all our customers will cooperate fully and observe this request which the airline is making based on safety considerations for passengers and crew,” he said.

The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has also issued a statement on the matter, adding that it’s investigating Samsung’s announcement.

“The SACAA has also noted the announcement by Samsung to stop the sales of the Galaxy Note7, and the company’s offer to replace similar devices already in customers’ possession. In light of these developments, the SACAA is currently and carefully looking into this matter and will take an appropriate decision in due course,” it said.

So far, there have been 35 reports of the phone’s battery exploding worldwide, and Samsung itself identified the battery problem in 24 of its Note 7 smartphones.

When the recall process begins, users will be able to switch out a possibly faulty handset for a new one regardless of when they bought it.

[Source – Fin24, image – CC by 2.0/Jacqueline du Plessis]

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