Airlines ban all MacBook Pro checked baggage

Two Australian airlines prohibit the transportation of all 15-inch Apple Macbooks Pro in the jet baggage holdings and the cabin must be turned off for the duration of the flight. The new rules apply even to MacBook Pro that have not been the subject of a recent reminder.

At the top of the Dangerous Goods Information page of Virgin Australia, which identifies items that passengers are not allowed to take on board its aircraft, the airline has specifically pointed out its ban on using computers. Apple laptops.

"Due to Apple's global recall of a number of Apple MacBook batteries, all Apple MacBooks must be placed in carry-on only," the message says. "No Apple MacBook is allowed in checked baggage until further notice."

Qantas Airways has issued similar rules, telling ZDNet that, "until further notice, all 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro must be carried in carry-on baggage and turned off after a recall notice issued by Apple."

Other airlines that have banned the installation of the aircraft on flights or in checked baggage include Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways.

The voluntary recall was launched by Apple in June, warning that the 15-inch Pros sold between September 2015 and February 2017 "contain a battery that can overheat and pose a security risk." The company, which has set up a support page for the affected units, has also asked customers to stop using them.

A month later, the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States alerted major US airlines about the recall and reminded them that the rules published in 2016 prohibit the transport of products that have been the subject of a safety recall, either in the cabin or in freight until they have been repaired or replaced.

In recent years, the use of lithium-ion batteries has been associated with fires and smoke-spewing smoke in a host of products, including the now-canceled Samsung Note, the hoverboards and Boeing's 787 Dreamliner .

Apple declined to comment on this story.