Qantas Airways, Australia’s largest airline by fleet size, has joined Virgin Australia in banning certain MacBooks from checked luggage.
Virgin announced its decision yesterday, citing fears that the laptop batteries could catch fire. Other airlines to also ban the laptop include Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration also reminded laptop owners not to bring on board products with recalled batteries, including Apple’s. Now Qantas is following suit.
Apple previously issued a worldwide recall of certain 15-inch MacBook Pros. In June, the company confirmed that some 15-inch MacBook Pro units “contain a battery that may overheat.” Apple primarily sold these laptops between September 2015 and February 2017. The recall was prompted by 26 reports of flaming MacBook Pros.
While the number of affected laptops remains small, it’s understandable that airlines would want to take safety precautions.
Read more at CultOfMac.com