FAA Bans Select MacBook Pro Laptops on Flights
Airlines & Airports Rich Thomaselli August 14, 2019
Like it did several years ago with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, the Federal Aviation Administration has banned certain MacBook Pro laptops from flights after Apple admitted some brands have batteries that could pose a fire risk.
The Apple brand includes some 15-inch MacBook Pros sold between September 2015 and February 2017, according to Bloomberg.
The company issued the recall in June after it “determined that, in a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units, the battery may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.”
All U.S. airlines have been notified, the FAA said.
“The FAA is aware of the recalled batteries that are used in some Apple MacBook Pro laptops. In early July, we alerted airlines about the recall, and we informed the public,” the agency said in a statement. “We issued reminders to continue to follow instructions about recalls outlined in the 2016 FAA Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) 16011.”
More information is provided on the FAA’s Packsafe website. You can also check your MacBook serial number here.
The affected Apple laptops should not be taken on flights as cargo or in carry-ons.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency followed suit earlier this month in issuing a warning about the MacBook Pro models, and four cargo operations airlines managed by Total Cargo Expertise also implemented a ban, according to an internal notice obtained by Bloomberg News.
“Please note that the 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro laptop, sold between mid-2015 to February-2017 is prohibited onboard any of our mandate carriers,” a TCE operations coordinator wrote to employees.
Apple said it was working quickly to rectify the problem.
“Customer safety is always Apple’s top priority, and we have voluntarily decided to replace affected batteries, free of charge,” the company said in a statement.
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