After two cases of explosive Note 7 recalls, the U.S. Department of Transportation banned all Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones from airplanes in a press release dated Oct. 14. As per a new Emergency Restriction/Prohibition Order, flying with the device on board is now a federal crime.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued the order on Friday, Oct. 14, prohibiting all flight passengers from carrying a Note 7 device on board.
Passengers are restricted from carrying the device "on their person, in carry-on baggage, in checked baggage, or as cargo," as stated on Emergency Restriction/Prohibition Order No. FAA-2016-9288.
Furthermore, if a passenger by inadvertent circumstance brings a Note 7 device on an aircraft, the carrier must immediately turn the device off, refrain from using or charging the device while aboard and avoid activating and powering on the device.
Passengers who fail to comply will be subject to civil penalties, racking up to $179,933, for each violation, and each day they are found to be in violation. Moreover, any person who fails to abide by the rules may be subject to criminal prosecution which could "result in fines under title 18, imprisonment of up to ten years, or both (49 U.S.C. 5124)."
"We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority," said Anthony Foxx, Transportation Secretary, speaking about the ban on Friday.
If you happen to still own a Note 7 device all things considered, then you should keep this in mind to avoid any inconvenience if you plan on traveling by plane in the future. If you attempt to board a plane with a Note 7, you will be denied boarding. If you hide the device in your luggage to circumvent the ban, you will be subject to criminal prosecution and respective fines as mentioned above.
Samsung has officially halted production of the Note 7 devices, following an estimated $17 billion loss from the debacle, essentially declaring it dead on its tracks. Samsung administered a tumultuous recall program, hastening it in some countries to put the device back in shelves. The replacement units, however, were still laden with the same life-threatening problems that the first devices were replaced for, adding insult to injury.
Upon numerous reports of exploding Note 7 devices, the consequent narrative had been strained by a messy recall program, fault replacement units, another recall program, and the eventual production halt of the devices. As a recourse, Samsung's refocusing its efforts on the Galaxy S7, ramping its production up to recoup profit losses. Samsung, however, is still expected to fully disclose what exactly went wrong with the Note 7 in the coming weeks.
The company is doubling its efforts to patch things up with loyal customers who still may have growing panic of their products causing serious inconveniences.
