Airlines ban Macbook Pro model due to safety risk

Amid concerns about the faulty battery in an older Macbook Pro model, airlines have recently begun banning the use of the affected Apple laptop devices from aircraft luggage holds as well as cabins in some cases.

Image: Unsplash

“Apple has determined that, in a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units, the battery may overheat and pose a fire safety risk,” the big Silicon Valley tech company announced late in June this year.

“Affected units were sold primarily between September 2015 and February 2017 and product eligibility is determined by the product serial number.”

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) opted to ban the devices from being checked in on all FAA-compliant craft, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) thereafter.

Similar to the FAA ban, EASA imposed restrictions on affected models from boarding its member operators’ craft, as well as that of foreign airline operators flying into, within or out of Europe.

If this model is brought into the cabin, it’s not to be switched on, charged or used, and owners are required to notify staff if the Macbook device is damaged, overheats, begins to produce smoke, or is dropped or lost on the aircraft.

Recently Australia’s national carrier, Qantas, stipulated that affected models are only allowed to board as cabin luggage, but Virgin Australia banned all Macbook models from boarding its craft.

Both Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways have advised clients to refrain from bringing the computers onboard as checked-in or carry-on luggage.

To identify whether your Apple device is affected by this safety ban, device users can check the model number on their MacBook Pro devices, specifically the ‘Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015’ model.

If you have this model, you can then run the serial number through a programme on the Apple website, which will determine whether your device has the faulty batteries.

Apple will be replacing affected batteries free of charge.

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