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The FAA bans certain MacBook Pros from airplanes

This MacBook Pro might not be allowed on a plane. (Source: GadgetGuy)
This MacBook Pro might not be allowed on a plane. (Source: GadgetGuy)
The US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has told airlines that there are MacBook Pros out there that cannot be brought onto commercial flights. The notebooks in question are those that were recalled by Apple earlier this year for official battery replacements. The FAA believes that these components are a fire hazard.

The US' FAA has imposed a ban on carrying certain MacBook Pros onto commercial flights, in either hand luggage or larger baggage. The devices in question are those 15-inch models subject to a recall for battery replacement. They were sold between September 2015 and February 2017, and can be identified through a check of their serial number on an Apple.com support page.

An estimated 432,000 units are thought to be affected by this recall in the U.S., in addition to about 26,000 more that were sold in Canada. As with many devices in need of replacement batteries, the FAA believes these MacBooks are a fire hazard. 4 airlines (TUI Group Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines, Air Italy and Air Transat) have reportedly implemented this new restriction already.

Apple has conceded that these MacBook Pros have been outfitted with batteries with a relatively high risk of overheating. The concomitant ban from passenger flights is reminiscent of the one handed to the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in the wake of its own controversy. This was associated with several reports of explosions in these devices due to defective battery casings shortly after their release in 2017.

Source(s)

Bloomberg

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Deirdre O Donnell, 2019-08-14 (Update: 2019-08-14)