U.S. Regulator Bans Recalled Apple Laptops From Flights

U.S. Regulator Bans Recalled Apple Laptops From Flights
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U.S. airline safety regulators banned select MacBook Pro laptops on flights after Apple recently said that some units had batteries that posed a fire risk, according to Bloomberg.

In a statement, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said it was “aware of the recalled batteries that are used in some Apple MacBook Pro laptops“ and stated that it alerted major U.S. airlines about the recall. The watchdog also reminded airlines to follow 2016 safety instructions for goods with recalled batteries, which means that the affected Apple laptops should not be taken on flights as cargo or in carry-on baggage by passengers.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued a warning about these MacBook Pro models earlier this month, telling airlines in the region to follow 2017 rules that require devices with recalled lithium-ion batteries to be switched off and not used during flights. The Apple laptops in question are some 15-inch MacBook Pros sold between September 2015 and February 2017. Apple issued the recall in June, saying it had “determined that, in a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units, the battery may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.“

The MacBook Pro isn’t the first consumer tech device to be barred from airlines. In 2016, Samsung’s Note 7 was banned from U.S. flights due to a fire hazard after the handset’s battery exploded in multiple incidents. Recently recalled laptops like those from HP may also be banned by the FAA’s rules.