Images uploaded onto online communities by users who had their Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 exploded due to faulty batteries. [Aju News DB]
South Korea considers banning passengers from carrying Samsung Electronics' latest Galaxy Note 7 smartphones into planes due to safety concerns caused by a series of battery explosions, a press report said Thursday.
If confirmed, it would deal a further blow to the world's largest smartphone maker which has been reeling from its decision to suspend sales and recall its new flagship smartphone.
Samsung has embarked on exchange programs since it admitted on September 2 that faulty parts have caused a series of battery explosions. The recall came only two weeks after the new smartphone was unveiled.
South Korea's transportation ministry will hold a hearing soon over whether to ban Galaxy Note 7 phones on flights, Yonhap News reported. "We will try to make a decision at the earliest possible date," an unnamed ministry official was quoted as saying.
Australia's largest airline Qantas Airways has reportedly banned passengers from charging Galaxy Note7 phones on all flights because of fears of devices with faulty batteries could catch fire.
The Sydney Morning Herald quoted a Qantas Group spokesperson as saying: "Following the worldwide recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 Personal Electronic Device, we are requesting that passengers do not charge them in flight."
Samsung Australia said there had been two instances of the phone overheating in Australia, the newspaper said, adding an estimated 50,000 phones would be recalled in Australia.
The (US) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is thinking about banning Note 7s on planes, according to IT news outlet Gizmodo said.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
