Comair will offload passengers with Samsung Galaxy Note 7
In line with a new ruling by the South Africa Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), Comair has announced that customers with a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone may not board aircraft operated by Comair Limited in Southern Africa, including British Airways and kulula.com.
Bob Adams via Wikimedia Commons - Kulula
This step is in compliance with precautions taken by regulators and aviation authorities worldwide to safeguard their customers and crew, following Samsung’s recall of the device, several of which have caught fire, reportedly due to battery faults.
Erik Venter, CEO of Comair says: “The safety of our crew and passengers is always our foremost priority. We have monitored all developments around the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 issue very closely and have maintained close contact with the SACAA on the matter. “The SACAA has ruled that customers may not transport the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in carry-on baggage, or in checked baggage, or on their person.
“Customers boarding British Airways (operated by Comair) or kulula.com flights will be asked at check-in and when boarding doors close, whether they’re carrying the device, and if so, they’ll be offloaded from the flight. Before the aircraft’s doors are closed, customers will be asked to identify themselves to the crew if they’re carrying the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and will be offloaded from the flight.”
British Airways, with whom Comair has a franchise agreement in Southern Africa, has prohibited the device aboard its flights to Hong Kong, the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
