Air travelers are being warned not to use their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones on planes after the company recalled the devices over complaints the batteries can catch fire.
“In light of recent incidents and concerns raised by Samsung about its Galaxy Note 7 devices, the Federal Aviation Administration strongly advises passengers not to turn on or charge these devices on board aircraft and not to stow them in any checked baggage,” the FAA said Wednesday.
Some international airlines are have already taken steps to stop people from using the Note 7 on their aircraft.
Qantas and Virgin Australia both said they are telling passengers not to turn on the phones or charge them on flights.
“On board announcements are being made prior to departure to inform all guests,” Virgin said in a statement.
Samsung said a week ago it was halting sales of the Note 7 phones and would recall 2.5 million devices in 10 countries, including South Korea and the U.S.
The company received dozens of complaints that the device caught on fire while charging. Samsung said it had found a problem with the battery in some of the phones.
The embarrassing announcement came just two weeks after the flagship phone’s release.
