UAE Etihad Airways Bans MacBook Pros in Checked Baggage Over Fire Hazard - Reports

DUBAI (Sputnik) - Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, the second-largest airline in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), announced a ban on the 15-inch versions of Apple's MacBook Pro laptop in checked baggage due to a potential fire hazard, local media reported.
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"Guests may still carry MacBook Pro laptops on flights, but only in cabin baggage. The laptops subject to the manufacturer's recall must remain switched off throughout the flight. Charging of the devices will not be permitted in flight", the UAE-based Khaleej Times reported, citing Etihad.

Qantas Airways, Virgin Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways have already issued similar bans on MacBook Pros but each to varying degrees.

"This checked luggage restriction is consistent with the actions of many airlines worldwide. The safety of our guests and crew is of paramount importance to Etihad Airways", the airline said.

The decision comes in the wake of Apple recalling this model, sold between September 2015 and February 2017, earlier in June due to battery overheating issues.

In June, Apple released a statement, saying that some of its older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units contain faulty batteries. These batteries may "overheat and pose a fire safety risk".

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was "aware of the recalled batteries that are used in some Apple MacBook Pro laptops". The FAA added that it had already alerted US airlines about that, Bloomberg reported earlier.

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