While we wait for Samsung to reveal the real reason why Galaxy Note 7 kept exploded in the first weeks after the phone’s launch, the FAA announced that airlines aren’t required to warn passengers before boarding that they’re not allowed to carry the phone on flights. However, the Galaxy Note 7 still remains “prohibited” on both passenger and air cargo aircraft.
“The Department of Transportation removed the requirement for air carriers to specifically notify passengers about the Note 7 phone immediately prior to boarding due to the high degree of public awareness of the ban since issuance of the emergency restriction/prohibition order, as well as the extensive efforts by Samsung and U.S. wireless providers to make all Note 7 users aware the phone is recalled and banned from transport on U.S. aircraft,” the FAA wrote in a press release.
“The awareness of the ban is evidenced by the significant rate of recall returns,” adding that Samsung has successfully recalled 93% of all Galaxy Note 7 units since the ban order went into effect on October 14th.
Samsung followed up on the FAA’s announcement with a short press release of its own that says the recall rate has actually reached 96%.
“By leveraging our digital technology to target each device, we’ve had over 96 percent of Galaxy Note 7 phones returned to date,” Samsung said.
“Together with our wireless carriers, we have taken aggressive action to limit the remaining phones’ ability to work as mobile devices, further enhancing participation in the recall. We thank the Department of Transportation, airlines, airports, our partners and Note 7 owners for their patience and support during this time,” Samsung added.
