Aviation safety watchdog DGCA on Monday banned passengers from carrying some older Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch laptops, which were recalled by the American multi-national due to fears that their batteries may overheat and explode.
“DGCA requests all air passengers not to fly with the affected models, either as hand-baggage or checked-in baggage, until the battery has been verified/certified as safe or replaced by the manufacturer,” it said in a post on Twitter.
The ban will be effective for Indian as well as international carriers.
The affected units were sold primarily between September 2015 and February 2017. MacBook Pro users can use their laptop’s serial number to check on Apple’s website if their device is affected by the ban.
The order from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) follows a warning each from the U.S. aviation regulatory body, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency earlier this month reinforcing their curbs on recalled lithium ion batteries. While FAA bans their carriage as cargo and check-in and carry-on luggage by passengers, EASA requires such devices to be switched off and not used during flights.
In June, Apple Inc. informed users that a limited number of “older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.” It voluntarily decided to replace the affected batteries free of charge.
On Sunday, Singapore Airlines barred passengers from carrying the affected models on board either as carry-on or checked-in luggage unless their batteries had been verified as safe or replaced by the manufacturer.
Three years back, the DGCA had similarly banned Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 after there were instances globally of smoke emanating from some devices.
