The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has strongly advised flyers to neither use nor charge a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 while on a plane. However, the agency did not actually ban the transport of the devices.
The FAA is urging flyers not to turn on or charge Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 on planes
But the phone is not formally banned.
Samsung
Samsung is replacing all Note 7 devices globally after 35 reported incidents in which a battery flaw led to fire or explosions.
“In light of recent incidents and concerns raised by Samsung about its Galaxy Note 7 devices, the Federal Aviation Administration strongly advises passengers not to turn on or charge these devices on board aircraft and not to stow them in any checked baggage,” the FAA said in a statement.
However, the company has yet to work with U.S. government agencies on the kind of formal recall that would make the sale of such devices illegal, a distinction that has raised the ire of federal officials.
A formal recall would have made sale of the Note 7 illegal. Consumer Reports has also urged Samsung to issue such a recall, as is standard in the U.S. for safety-related issues.
As a practical matter, a flight ban could be tough to enforce. Actually telling a Galaxy Note 7 from a Note 5 or a Galaxy S7 would be impractical to add to the long list of duties for flight crews or security screeners.
Plus, Samsung expects to have replacement devices out in a week or so that would look indistinguishable from those that could have faulty batteries.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
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