Korean Air bans laptops

Korean Air has forbidden the use of Dell and Apple laptops during flight due to the risk of battery explosion, according to The Korean Times. The Korean national flag carrier said yesterday that the ban was put in place on Aug. 30, after the both U.S. computer manufacturers announced the recall of Sony-manufactured batteries used in some of the companies' laptop models. "Due to the risk of onboard fire, we are not allowing passengers to use certain brands of laptops on the plane. Safety always comes first for us," a Korean Air spokesperson told the publication; the airline said it was unsure when the ban would be lifted; however, a similar ban was instituted last month by Australia’s Quantas. While both airlines prohibit all models of Dell laptops and Apple’s Powerbook and iBook series, users can still carry-on laptops if they separate the batteries into checked baggage, according to the report.

by MacNN Staff