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No-fly zone suggested for Galaxy Note 7

Phlaming phablet should not be used in the sky says US Federal Aviation Administration

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken the unusual step of issuing a warning about Samsung's flaming phablet, the Galaxy Note 7.

“In light of recent incidents and concerns raised by Samsung about its Galaxy Note 7 devices,” the statement opens, “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 is not alone in that thinking: The Register is aware that three Australian airlines – QANTAS, Virgin Australia and Tiger Airways - have banned use of the device in-flight. Qantas operates subsidiaries based in Singapore and Japan, so it would not surprise if the ban quickly spreads. Virgin Australia numbers Virgin Group, Etihad Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand among its shareholders, so if those carriers need a word of advice it won't be hard to come buy.

Airlines are of course extremely averse to anything capable of causing an in-flight fire. Hence QANTAS' policy of not allowing passengers to rummage around inside seats to find a lost smartmobe, lest the mechanisms puncture the battery and make it flame out in the worst possible way.

Since we ran that story, reader “Dom” has let us know that Korean Air's safety video includes instructions to leave phones alone. Dom has also seen a business class passenger asked to stay on a plane after landing, so that technicians could dismantle his seat and search for his smartmobe. ®

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