Hong Kong airport bans Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on all flights to and from city
Move follows that of four local airlines aimed to stop passengers from carrying the defective phone after global product recall
Hong Kong International Airport banned passengers from carrying fire-prone Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices on any flight to and from Hong Kong with immediate effect on Saturday.
The move followed an identical decision by local airlines HK Express, Cathay Pacific Airways, Dragonair and Hong Kong Airlines.
“Passengers who own or possess a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device are requested not to transport the device on their person, in carry-on baggage, or in checked baggage on flights to and from Hong Kong,” the airport said in a special announcement posted on its official website.
On Saturday, local airlines HK Express, Cathay Pacific, Dragonair and Hong Kong Airlines banned the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 from all flights with immediate effect.
Earlier last week, Samsung ended production of the faulty Note 7 smartphone after nearly 100 handsets combusted or overheated, sometimes causing injuries.
The fault, caused by a battery defect, sparked a global safety recall, forcing customers to trade in their devices or seek refunds.
With at least one known incident on-board an aircraft so far and the threat very real, airlines moved swiftly to stop Note 7 devices from overheating or combusting on-board by initially urging travellers to switch off their devices and not to connect them to any power source.
On Saturday morning, however, HK Express confirmed an immediate ban on the device on all flights, swiftly followed by Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, and Hong Kong Airlines.
In a statement, HK Express said: “The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority. All Samsung Note7 mobile devices are prohibited on all HK Express flights effective immediately. Guests may not carry on or check-in these devices.”
Cathay Pacific, Dragonair and Hong Kong Airlines released similar statements.
Additional reporting by Nikki Sun
