More airlines ban MacBook Pro laptops in checked luggage over fire concerns

Restrictions on MacBook Pro laptops on flights spread, with Qantas Airways Ltd. barring some models from checked-in luggage on concern that batteries could catch fire.

All 15-inch versions of Apple Inc.’s MacBook Pro must be carried in the cabin and switched off, Qantas said in a statement Wednesday. The rule went into effect Tuesday morning. Rival Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd. went further on Aug. 26, banning all Apple laptops from checked-in luggage.

Australia’s two biggest airlines join a growing list of carriers and jurisdictions across the world cracking down on the portable computers out of concern some could self-combust.

The models in question are some 15-inch MacBook Pros sold from September 2015 to February 2017. Apple issued the recall in June, saying “in a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units, the battery may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.”

Singapore Airlines Ltd. and Thai Airways International PCL have already stopped passengers from taking any of the affected models on their aircraft.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration earlier this month said it alerted major U.S. airlines about Apple’s recall. The FAA reminded airlines to follow 2016 safety instructions for goods with recalled batteries, which means the affected Apple laptops should not be taken on flights as cargo or carry-on baggage.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued its own warning about these MacBook Pro models on Aug. 1.

While there have been repeated incidents of phones, laptops and other devices overheating and catching fire in planes’ passenger compartments, a fire hasn’t ever gone out of control. There have been at least three accidents, two of them fatal, on cargo airlines since 2006 in which lithium batteries were suspected of causing fires.

Foreign airlines ban MacBooks on Indian flights; DGCA mulls similar move

With several international airlines banning some older models of Apple's flagship laptop MacBook Pro in both check-in or hand luggage, including in India, fears of battery fire have returned to haunt users of the device.

In June, Apple announced a voluntary recall of its faulty 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there's a chance that the devices sold between September 2015 and February 2017 could overheat and potentially cause fires.

Seeing this, India is pondering if it should ask the airlines to restrict the affected MacBook Pro models. “The DGCA is examining the issue and if need be, will do the needful,” said a senior official.

Singapore Airlines (SIA), a major operator to India, on Sunday said on its website: "Customers are to refrain from bringing the affected (MacBook Pro) models either as hand-carry or in checked baggage until the battery has been verified as safe or replaced by the manufacturer. Please visit Apple’s MacB ook Pro Battery Recall Program page to get more information on whether your product is affected, as well as on the available battery replacement options." Thai is also not allowing 15-inch MacBook Pro notebooks sold between September 2015 and February 2017 on the aircraft either as carry-on or checked luggage.

The iPhone-maker reportedly said it had received 26 reports of the laptop's battery overheating, with as many as five consumers reporting minor burns and one suffering from smoke inhalation.

Nearly 432,000 potentially affected MacBook Pro units were sold in the US and 26,000 in Canada.

Apple issued a similar replacement programme last year for the latest 13-inch Pros over issues related to battery expansion.

In 2016, battery fires in Samsung's flagship smartphone Galaxy Note 7 caused the firm operating losses of some 6.1 trillion won ($5 billion).

Galaxy Note 7 "launched in August 2016 amid much fanfare" was poised to be in direct competition with the Apple flagship iPhone 7 and Google flagship Pixel.

However, batteries started exploding and devices caught fire while charging, forcing the South Korean giant to recall 2.5 million units worldwide in September.

The company encouraged Note 7 owners to swap their devices with new ones, but the replacement Note 7 devices too caught fire, leading to production being stalled in October. The Galaxy Note 7 device finally landed up in the junkyard.

Samsung Electronics acknowledged that faulty battery caused its flagship Galaxy Note 7 to catch fire, after discontinuing the fire-prone device.

A mix of thin separators between the positive and negative layers, abnormal squeeze in battery corners, abnormal bump in battery surface and absent insulating tape caused the Note 7s to explode and set on fire.

MacBook Pro owners can use their laptop's serial number to check on Apple's website if the product is affected by the recall.

The recall does not affect other units or Mac notebooks, says Apple.

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also banned the affected laptops on all flights.

--IANS

na/sdr/rtp

Apple MacBook Pro gets 8th, 9th-Gen Intel Core processors: Price, features

American technology giant Apple has updated its MacBook Pro-series with 8th-Generation and 9th-Generation Intel Core processors. The upgraded MacBook Pro is touted to deliver two times faster performance than the previous generation’s quad-core variant, and up to 40 per cent better performance than the hexa-core variant. The new MacBook Pro continues to come in 13-inch and 15-inch screen variants, priced at Rs 159,900 and Rs 199,900, respectively (for base models).

Besides new processors, the MacBook Pro features Apple’s Retina display with 500 nits of brightness, support for the P3 wide colour gamut and True Tone technology. It boasts stereo speakers, Touch ID, Touch Bar, and a large Force Touch trackpad.

The MacBook Pro also features solid state drive (SSD) storage, the Apple T2 Security Chip for enhanced security, and Thunderbolt 3 ports for data transfer, charging and connecting up to two 5K displays or four external GPUs.

“Now with 8-core processors for an incredible performance boost, along with its stunning Retina display, fast storage, all-day battery life and running macOS, MacBook Pro continues to be the world’s best pro notebook and we can’t wait to get it into our customer’s hands to see what they do next,” said Tom Boger, Apple’s senior director of Mac Product Marketing in a statement.

The upgraded MacBook Pro comes with macOS Mojave, the latest version of Apple’s desktop operating system. In Mojave, the dark mode transforms the desktop with a dramatic new look that puts the focus on user content; stacks organises desktops by automatically stacking files into neat groups, and FaceTime supports group calling. The Mojave OS also brings iOS apps, including news, stocks, voice memos and home to the Mac and features a redesigned Mac App Store.

The updated 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and 15-inch MacBook Pro will be available on Apple authorised resellers from later this week.