If you own a 15-inch MacBook Pro, you may not be able to carry it on any future Air India flights. In an advisory issued by the Directorate general of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday, passengers were requested to not carry their 15-inch MacBook Pros as checked in or hand baggage. This applies to 15-inch MacBook pros purchased between September 2015 and February 2017.
In a tweet that was posted on Saturday, the airlines confirmed the notice. The tweet said,” In view of the advisory by DGCA regarding the transportation of affected lithium batteries by Air, we request our Passengers not to carry 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro ( passengers were requested to not carry their 15-inch MacBook Pros as checked in or hand baggage) as checked-in or hand baggage”
https://twitter.com/airindiain/status/1167630400782356480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Earlier in June, Apple announced a recall of MacBook Pros that were sold between September 2015 and February 2017 as they feared it would pose a safety hazard to users. Even as early as last week, a few airlines that operate from India like Singapore Airlines also issued a ban on a selected number of MacBook Pros on-board due to an alleged battery fire risk. Due to this announcement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had said that it was examining the issue and may announce an official ban on the device if need be. Well, this week that came to pass, as the DGCA issued the request.
Clearly, faulty batteries on laptops can be a safety hazard, especially when you’re flying. This seems to have pushed the San Cupertino giant to set up a website for consumers to check if their laptops were affected by this particular battery problem as well.
To be fair, even the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which regulates all civil aviation issues in the US banned the 15-inch MacBook pro on flights in the States.