THE CIVIL Aviation Authority of the Philippines has urged airline operators, officials of the Manila International Airport Authority and other airport managers nationwide to prohibit the use and battery charging of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 to ensure the safety of passengers.
CAAP acting director Jim Sydiongco made the advisory Monday following the announcement of Samsung Electronics Company Ltd. issued a recall order on all Galaxy Note 7 devices.
“In light of the official announcement by Samsung to recall and voluntarily replace all Galaxy Note 7 devices already sold to the public due to reported incidents of exploding and catching fire, the CAAP strongly encourages all operators to advise passengers not to turn on or charge these devices while inside the airport premises and/or on board the aircraft,” Sydiongco said in a memorandum.
“Moreover, all are enjoined to require passengers not to stow these devices in any checked baggage, but instead carry these devices with them where an incident can be immediately mitigated,” the memorandum stated.
Major commercial airlines—Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Asia —earlier banned the use and charging of Galaxy Note 7 during flights to ensure public safety following reports that the phones’ batteries have caught fire during charging and normal use.
Cebu Pacific Airlines said “In light of the recent recall of Galaxy Note 7 devices due to safety issues, CEB advises passengers that the usage and charging of the device are prohibited onboard all CEB and Cebgo flights beginning September 11, 2016, until further notice.”
“We sincerely hope for our passengers’ full cooperation, as the safety of everyone onboard our flights remains our utmost priority,” it also stated.
The Philippine Airlines and Air Asia management also came up with the same policy.
“Safety remains a cornerstone of PAL operations and, as such, the flag carrier will be ensuring full compliance on board each flight and is seeking the full cooperation of its passengers,” PAL said in a statement.
PAL spokesperson Ma. Cielo Villaluna said the prohibition stems from the directive of the International Air Transport Association, adding IATA issued the order to all airlines after Samsung Electronics Company Ltd. issued a recall order on all Galaxy Note 7 devices.
“The devices were found to be fire-prone. PAL is also prohibiting the carriage of the said devices as cargo shipment and as part of check-in luggage. Passengers may still bring these devices on board as hand-carry for as long as the units are switched off and not charged,” she said.
The manufacturer said all users of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones subject to the ongoing global recall should turn in their devices as soon as possible.
It said it is working to expedite shipments of replacement phones promised in the recall announced last week due to faulty batteries causing the premium smartphone to explode.
Reports showed three Australian airlines have earlier banned passengers from using or charging the mobile device during flights due to concerns over the phone’s fire-prone batteries.
In December last year, major airlines also prohibited passengers from bringing hoverboards and other similar self-balancing cart on board its aircraft.
The airlines stated that hoverboards run on high-powered lithium-ion batteries, which have been widely reported to have a tendency to overheat or spontaneously ignite.
They explained the devices pose a fire hazard risk and are deemed unsafe for transport especially in aircraft’s pressurized cabin and cargo stowage spaces.
The United Kingdom Local Government Association (LGA) had advised consumers after several cases of the self-balancing scooters causing “major” fires prompted retailers to pull them from the shelves.
The LGA also advised people to avoid “fake and suspiciously cheap hoverboards,” especially those being sold online.