Qantas and Virgin Australia ban Samsung Galaxy Note 7 from all flights

Following a ban by the US Transportation regulator, Australia’s major airlines Qantas and Virgin Australia have today announced that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is banned from all flights as of tomorrow.

This is a step further than the “power off before boarding” messages that have been announced in airports across Australia of late, and the similar “power off” message being announced on flights.

As of tomorrow, the physical device, powered on or powered off is not allowed to be brought onto an airplane, as carry-on, in your pocket, or in your checked luggage.

These are strong actions to ensure the safety of passengers, which is the right thing to do – especially given the concern that recent replacement devices may have been catching fire even when not charging.

It’s the worst for Samsung though, because it means at least for the forseeable future, those announcements in airports and planes are going to continue, which will just further the brand damage that is being done by the Note 7 crisis.

A reminder, if you own a Galaxy Note 7 – power it off, take it back to where you got it or contact Samsung.