Flyers using the new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile phone will only be allowed to carry the phone in their hand baggage on flights in India, and only if switched off.
The phone, which is still to be launched in the domestic market, came under the scrutiny of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) late on Friday.
In a public notice, the DGCA advised “travellers not to turn on or charge” the Galaxy Note 7 phone on board the aircraft. The public order also advises travellers not “to stow them in any checked-in baggage”.
The DGCA notice has been issued in “the light of ... battery issues with ... Galaxy Note 7 devices globally.”
Globally, some buyers have reported that their phones caught fire or exploded while charging, and Samsung said it had confirmed 35 such cases that had been caused by faulty batteries. A DGCA source clarified that there was no ban on the Samsung phones and flyers could carry them if switched off, in their hand bags.
“If the phone is carried on board, in the hand baggage, then it should be in the switched-off mode,” it said.
Airlines have also been advised to ensure passengers do not put their Samsung Galaxy Note 7s in check-in bags even in switched off mode.
“This is to ensure that the phone does not switch on accidentally as there is a danger that the Lithium battery powering the phone could send sparks that could lead to a fire,” the source said.