Samsung’s latest flagship phablet, the Galaxy Note 7 is suffering from the battery issues, with numerous incidents of it catching fire and exploding being reported. Samsung has already halted the global production and shipments of the phablet and will also be replacing the faulty units. Now, for the safety of air travelers, India’s aviation regulator DGCA has prohibited using the Galaxy Note 7 onboard even though Samsung hasn’t sold the smartphone in India. The move comes after the FAA made a similar announcement.
The Indian regulator's order comes hours after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a directive in this regard. "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 order said.
“In the light of recent incidents involving battery issue with Samsung about its Galaxy Note7 devices globally, travelling public and airlines are advised to ensure not to turn on or charge Galaxy Note7 mobile phone on board the aircraft,” Director General for Civil Aviation B S Bhullar said in a public notice. The aviation regulator also advised travelers and air carriers not to stow them in the checked-in baggage. “The decision to prohibit use or carriage of Samsung Galaxy Note7 onboard has been taken for the safety of aircraft operations and its occupants,” DGCA said.
“We are aware of the DGCA notice. Consumer safety and peace of mind are our top priority. Galaxy Note 7 sales have not started in India, and we have delayed sales to alleviate any safety concerns,” Samsung India spokesperson said in a statement.
The DGCA will now inform Indian carriers as they were not aware of this ban till late Friday evening.
The company plans to expedite new shipments of Galaxy Note 7 soon to reduce any inconvenience for its customers, the statement added. Samsung had last week halted sales of the Galaxy Note 7 after finding some of their batteries exploding or catching fire. It said it has confirmed 35 instances of the device catching fire or exploding. Yesterday, Samsung also confirmed the reasons why Galaxy Note 7 batteries were exploding.
In India, Samsung is also making up for the delay in sale by giving away free Galaxy Gear VR, which otherwise costs Rs 7,290. At the time of launch, Samsung had announced that those who pre-book the Galaxy Note 7 could avail the Gear VR headset at a special price of Rs 1,990. Now, after the battery fiasco, Samsung has also announced that it will give users Oculus content voucher worth $50 (approximately Rs 3,350), when the Galaxy Note 7 and Gear VR headset starts shipping. Samsung Galaxy Note 7 launched priced at Rs. 59,990 in India.
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