Samsung Galaxy Note7 Banned On All North American Airplanes
U.S. and Canadian government’s sweeping travel prohibition on “hazardous” smartphone now in effect.
Once viewed as a potential insurgent to Apple’s iPhone empire, the Samsung Galaxy Note7 has become a cautionary tale for electronics makers worldwide. Following a series of device fires, and failed recall effort per recommendation from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Korean manufacturer officially halted production of its new smartphone earlier this week.
On Friday, Transport Canada, the government agency charged with overseeing that country’s travel regulations, issued a nationwide airplane travel ban on all Note7 phones, “effective immediately.” The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), has issued a similar ban. It goes into effect at 12p.m. EST on Saturday.
This means Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphones are no longer allowed on airplanes in North America. That includes carry-on luggage, checked bags and cargo stowage.
There are no exemptions for any passengers, pilots, or crewmembers. According to the U.S. announcement, the Samsung Galaxy Note7 is now considered “forbidden hazardous material” on all flights. The DOT also says anybody carrying the phone “will be denied boarding,” and that anybody caught violating the ban “may be subject to criminal prosecution in addition to fines.”
If you’ve got a Galaxy Note7 and still haven’t exchanged it, contact Samsung and do so immediately. In the interim, do not board an airplane in North America, lest you wind up the DOT and FAA’s shit list. And that, friends, is not a list you want to be on.
