Airlines ban Samsung Note 7 over fire fears
Move comes after global recall of device following reports of device igniting when charging
Reports of the Note 7 igniting while chargin has resulting in a worldwide recall, including the UAE.
Three Australian airlines, Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia, have banned passengers from using or charging Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 7 smartphones on board due to concerns over the phone's battery catching fire.
According to Reuters, customers can still bring the phones on flights, but are barred from using them or plugging them into USB ports in planes.
The action was triggered by reports of the phone igniting while charging, resulting in a worldwide recall of the Note 7 by the Korean tech giant.
Samsung today announced the availability its exchange program for Galaxy Note 7 owners in the UAE.
Samsung, the world's biggest smartphone vendor, has sold 2.5 million of the premium devices so far, Reuters says.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering its response to the Samsung recall and "working on guidance related to this issue," according to a FAA statement quoted by technology website Gizmodo.
In February the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations' agency, banned lithium-ion batteries from checked luggage following concerns from pilots and plane makers that they are a fire risk.
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