U.S. aviation-safety officials on Monday said flyers should not use any Samsung Electronics Co. Galaxy Note 7 cellphones on flights, expanding their guidance to include replacement models.
The Federal Aviation Administration widened the guidance given to airlines and flyers about the phone's possible fire risks, havin previously excluded models purchased after Sep. 15 from their warnings.
The move will iron out differences in how the existing ban on the use of the phone is applied by airlines. Some included all Note 7 models while others excluded the replacement devices.
The FAA reiterated its guidance, which is also being followed by overseas airlines, for passengers to keep phones powered off and avoid charging them on the plane. Passengers are also being told to keep phones on their person or in carry-on baggage
The agency cited Samsung's decision to suspend sales and product exchanges, as well as the continuing probe by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Airlines have been reminding passengers with announcements at airport gates and as part of preflight safety briefings.
Concerns that replacement phones could still be prone to the overheating issues that prompted the recall of more than 2.5 million units last month has led some carriers to revisit their existing policies, though all had left existing measures in place before the FAA announcement.
Smoke coming from a Samsung device prompted Southwest Airlines Co. staff to evacuate a domestic flight last week as it prepared for takeoff. The FAA said the incident was still being investigated.
Flight attendants and airport staff have been policing the guidelines, and airlines haven't reported problems communicating them to passengers.
Industry officials said airline staff remained the main conduit for ensuring phones remain off given that technology doesn't exist that can differentiate between devices. While passengers have been told not to pack devices in checked baggage, officials said there was no way for an airport X-ray machine to distinguish between the Samsung devices and other cellphones.
The FAA has also reminded airlines of the need to have procedures for tackling in-flight fires, though procedures vary from carrier to carrier, and some have already installed fire-containment kits. A spokeswoman for Baker Aviation, which markets flameproof bags, said the Samsung recall had boosted interest in the product.
