DGCA bans some Apple MacBook models on planes due to overheating issues

Passengers in India will not be allowed to carry certain models of Apple MacBook Pro laptops in flight due to safety issues. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has banned some older models of Apple's flagship laptop MacBook Pro in both check-in and hand luggage due to concerns that their batteries may overheat and catch fire.

In a statement, DGCA said, "Requests all air passengers not to fly with the affected models either as hand baggage or checked-in baggage until the battery has been verified/certified as safe or replaced by the manufacturer." English national daily The Times of India reported that ban will be applicable to flyers within India as well as for those boarding international flights from the country.

Interestingly, Apple announced a voluntary recall of its faulty 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops in June. The laptops were majorly sold between September 2015 and February 2017. In a statement issued on June 2019, Apple informed an "important notice for batteries in certain MacBook Pro units" which read: "Apple announced a voluntary recall of a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units which contain a battery that may overheat and pose a safety risk. The units were sold primarily between September 2015 and February 2017 and can be identified by their product serial number. The recall does not affect any other 15-inch MacBook Pro units or other Mac notebooks. Since customer safety is a top priority, Apple is asking customers to stop using affected 15-inch MacBook Pro units. Customers should visit apple.com/support/15-inch-macbook-pro-battery-recall for details on product eligibility and how to have a battery replaced, free of charge."

Earlier in August, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and American Federal Aviation Administration directed the airlines to take appropriate step after which international airlines banned the passengers of carrying the affected MacBook Pro laptops on flights both in check-in and hand baggage. 

On Sunday, Singapore Airlines (SIA) issued an advisory to passengers asking them to refrain from carrying the affected model of MacBook Pro. "Please visit Apple's MacBook Pro Battery Recall Program page to get more information on whether your product is affected, as well as on the available battery replacement options," the statement read on the website. It is to be noted that in 2016, Samsung's flagship smartphone Galaxy Note 7 faced similar issues of overheat. Samsung incurred operating losses of some 6.1 trillion won ($5 billion) due to overheating issues.