While Samsung is still in damage control mode as the Note 7 explosion saga continues, airlines in the US are making sure the company’s phones don’t cause a mid-air disaster.
Three US airlines will now provide fire-containment bags which can be used to seal up an overheating smartphone or other device.
Virgin America, Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines have started rolling out the bright red bags which can be sealed using Velcro and heavy-duty zippers and are capable of withstanding 1,760C heat.
Related: Best Note 7 replacements
Virgin America has already installed the fire-resistant bags on all its 60-odd planes and Alaska Airlines has also ensured its 219 planes are fully Note 7-proof.
Delta Air Lines is yet to kit its planes out but has said it will make sure its 900 aircraft, starting with the 166 that cross oceans and some Boeing 757s used for domestic flights, will have two of the bags on-board before the end of 2016.
The move follows a warning from the US Federal Aviation Administration to passengers, advising them not to use or charge Note 7 devices on-board planes.
Samsung meanwhile has been forced to stop production of the explosion-prone handsets, after initially offering supposedly safe replacements to customers.
The South Korean firm made the decision after reports of replacement devices catching fire began to surface, one of which related to a Note 7 exploding before take-off on a Southwest Airlines flight in the United States.
Royal Mail this week has also said it will not allow the phones to be returned via its network, due to the lithium-ion batteries used in the devices, which have been identified as the source of the overheating problems.
If you still have a Note 7, Samsung has issued a global recall and strongly advises powering the phone down and returning tit for a refund as soon as possible.
WATCH: Galaxy Note 7 Review
Let us know if you’ve had problems with the Note 7 in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
