The newly-released Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has been banned on UAE airlines, spokespersons from Emirates and flydubai have said.
An Emirates spokesman said that restrictions had been put in place in line with guidelines issued by the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
“As advised by the UAE GCAA, Emirates can confirm that with immediate effect it will advise customers not to turn on or charge their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones during flights or stow them in checked baggage due to concerns over the phone’s fire-prone batteries,” said the Emirates statement.
The airline apologised for the inconvenience caused stating “the safety of our customers and crew is of utmost priority”.
Air-safety regulators in the US urged passengers to avoid using the mobile phones on airliners.
In a statement, the US aviation safety authority the Federal Aviation Administration said: “In light of recent incidents and concerns involving the new devices, passengers are advised not to turn on or charge these devices aboard aircrafts and not to stow them in any checked baggage.”