FAA Amends Samsung Galaxy Emergency Restriction Prohibition Order

The US DOT Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today amended its Emergency Restriction Prohibition Order (FAA—2016-9288) for users and carriers of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smart phone.

From the consumer and traveler standpoint, there is no change to the Emergency Restriction.

The sole change in this Amended Emergency Restriction/Prohibition Order is the removal of the requirement for airlines to alert passengers of the prohibition, in particular immediately before boarding the aircraft.  

DOT is removing this airline requirement in part due to extensive efforts from Samsung and wireless carriers to spread the word about the product risks and the FAA’s prohibition. In addition, major US wireless carriers, FAA says, have deployed a software update that renders the smartphone inoperable.  

See the Amended emergency order in the Federal Register.

The following restrictions remain in place regarding the Samsung Galaxy Note 7:

• No person may offer for air transportation a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device. 
• Passengers may not carry a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device on an airplane on their person, in carry-on bags, in checked bags, or as cargo.

If you accidently bring your Samsung Galaxy Note 7 onto a plane, you must power it off immediately, not use or charge the device while aboard the aircraft, keep the phone on your person (not in overhead storage, seat pockets, or a carry-on bag), and protect the device from accidentally turning on.

Issued by FAA in October, this emergency hazardous materials restriction is a response to the ongoing global recall that began after dozens of reports of lithium battery fires involving Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 smart phone.

Read more about the recall effort here: Defective Lithium Batteries Lead to Worldwide Smartphone Recall for Samsung.  

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