The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has notified major airlines of Apple’s recall of mid-2015 15-inch MacBook Pro models, which effectively equals a ban on the laptops from passenger and cargo planes, due to the laptop’s potential fire hazard.
The FAA, in a statement to Bloomberg said it was “aware of the recalled batteries that are used in some Apple MacBook Pro laptops” and said that it had told the airlines to follow FAA rules related to products that contain recalled batteries.
A 2016 regulation states that devices containing recalled batteries are restricted on cargo planes and as carry-on items on passenger flights.
Apple in June issued a battery recall of mid-2015 15-inch MacBook Pro models sold between September 2015 and February 2017, saying “the battery may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.”
Total Cargo Expertise, which operates both cargo and passenger aircraft, notified employees about the laptop ban, telling them to make announcements about the recalled MacBook Pro models at airport gates and onboard before takeoff.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has also instructed airlines to follow 2017 rules that require devices with recalled lithium-ion batteries to be turned off during flight, the report said.