Tuesday, Oct 18, 2016

Dubai

Samsung Galaxy Note 7s are prohibited on all airlines flying from Dubai airports, the Dubai airport operator announced on Tuesday.

The prohibition came on a heels of a total ban imposed by UAE-based airlines on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone following reports of exploding batteries and resultant fires.

On Monday, flydubai issued a statement that it will neither allow Note 7 on board nor in the checked baggage, following a ban on the Samsung smartphone by national carriers Etihad Airways and Emirates.

“In line with the recent regulatory directive, flydubai is unable to accept the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 personal electronic device on board our aircraft or in checked baggage with immediate effect,” the budget carrier said in a statement.

Etihad Airways and Emirates announced on Sunday a complete ban the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones being carried on their flights.

Etihad Airways is “enforcing” a total ban on Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones in the wake of their global recall, the airline said on Sunday.

“Guests must not carry Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in their checked-in baggage, in cabin baggage, or on their person,” the airline said. “We apologise for the inconvenience caused. However, the safety and security or our passengers and staff is of the utmost importance.”

Exchange

Earlier, Samsung Gulf Electronics confirmed that consumers who have a Galaxy Note 7 device can start exchanging their phone for a Samsung Galaxy S7 edge or receive a full refund from Tuesday.

The South Korean smartphone manufacturer announced a week ago that it was discontinuing the Note 7 after a chaotic recall that saw replacement phones also catching fire.

It announced the global recall of 2.5 million Note 7s in early September following reports of the phones’ batteries catching fire. In the UAE, Samsung sold 19,000 Note 7s.

Samsung said last week that the fiasco would cost the company an estimated $5.3 billion (Dh19.47 billion) in lost profits over the three-quarters, beginning from July.

Staff Report

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