Comair has announced that, in line with a new ruling by the South Africa Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), customers may not board their aircraft with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. This applies to all aircraft operated by Comair Limited in southern Africa: British Airways (operated by Comair) and kulula.com.
This step is in compliance with precautions taken by regulators and aviation authorities worldwide to safeguard their customers and crew, following Samsung’s recall of the device, several of which have caught fire, reportedly due to battery faults.
Erik Venter, CEO of Comair says: “The safety of our crew and passengers is always our foremost priority. We have monitored all developments around the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 issue very closely and have maintained close contact with the SACAA on the matter.
“The SACAA has ruled that customers may not transport the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in carry-on baggage, or in checked baggage, or on their person.
“Customers boarding British Airways (operated by Comair) or kulula.com flights will be asked at check-in and when boarding doors close, whether they’re carrying the device, and if so, they’ll be offloaded from the flight. Before the aircraft’s doors are closed, customers will be asked to identify themselves to the crew if they’re carrying the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and will be offloaded from the flight.”
British Airways, with whom Comair has a franchise agreement in southern Africa, has prohibited the device aboard its flights to Hong Kong, the United States, Canada and Mexico.
About Comair Limited
Comair Limited is a South African aviation and travel company, offering scheduled and non-scheduled airline services within South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, as its main business. The company operates under its low-fare airline brand, kulula.com, as well as under the British Airways livery, as part of its British Airways. license agreement. Managed and owned by South Africans through its listing on the JSE, Comair has been operating successfully in this country since 1946. Comair is the only known airline to have achieved operating profits for 70 consecutive years and has a safety record which is internationally recognised.
For more information on Comair, visit www.comair.co.za
