Korean Air Bars In-Flight Use of Dell, Apple Laptops

Korean Air, the largest airline based out of South Korea, on Wednesday said it would not allow any Dell laptops or certain Apple notebooks to be used during flights while running on battery power due to concerns over potential fire hazards, the Associated Press reports via the International Herald Tribune.

In August, both Dell and Apple announced massive recalls of notebook batteries that contained faulty power cells manufactured by Sony. Both firms recalled 5.9 million Sony-made batteries after reports that some had exploded.

A Korean Air spokesperson told the AP the ban has been in effect since Aug. 30; however, its customers can still use their Dell and Apple notebooks while aboard flights after they’ve detached the batteries from their machines and plugged into a separate power outlet.

All Dell laptops are included within the ban, and Apple’s iBook and PowerBook computers are also covered, according to the AP.

Related Links:

• Apple, Dell Plot Battery Standards

• Dell to Recall 4.1M Batteries Due to Fire Hazard

• Apple to Recall 1.8M Laptop Batteries

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