For those in the United States (and also many other countries), it’s important to know if traveling on a flight, there are bans on certain laptops. While for those in the UK, the ban of laptops and large electronic devices such as tablets and larger mobile phones in aircraft cabins have been lifted.
For the most part, the majority of the laptops are allowed on flights with the exception of Apple MacBook Pro laptops.
The US Federal Aviation Administration has banned a select, older MacBook Pro laptops because they pose a fire risk.
For the most part, 15-inch MacBook Pros sold between September 2015-February 2017 are banned because the battery may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.
Apple has offered a 15-inch MacBook Pro Battery Recall, which you can get your battery repaired by Apple for free.
Many other airlines have followed suit, banning 15-inch 2015-2017 MacBook on flights.
@Apple Following the FAA ban, my husband has been prohibited from bring his 15″ MacBook Pro on a commercial helicopter flight home from work. The petroleum company have applied a blanket ban, ‘as ground staff do not have the manpower to individual MacBooks’ – Please help! pic.twitter.com/n1CFmmGpDB
— Claire Goodbrand (@Clairegoodbrand) August 21, 2019
New: The FAA has banned people from bringing on the recalled MacBook Pros onto flights + carriers in Europe also start banning the MacBook Pro sold between 2015-2017, w @AlanLevin1 https://t.co/1k9M3Q17cZ
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) August 13, 2019
Airlines operating in India are implementing the ban on carrying #MacBook laptops onboard on passenger and cargo planes https://t.co/LMntwc4EFR
— The Mobile Indian (@themobileindian) August 26, 2019
Virgin isn’t the only airline to ban laptops from checked-in luggage – find out more: https://t.co/Go63RsFqpx #virginairlines #qantas #jetstar #apple #MacBook
— Ace Airport Parking (@AceAirportPark) August 28, 2019
Malaysian Airlines and AirAsia bans recalled Macbook laptops on flighthttps://t.co/6Cns1A7aO5#Malaysia #Apple #Ban #Airport #laptop #Airline #Macbook #flight
— MalaysiaNow (@Malay_now) September 7, 2019
Virgin, Qantas and Jetstar ban #Macbook s from checked-in luggage #Applehttps://t.co/DA0ldMqhbo via @MailOnline
— Steve David (@SteveDavid845) August 27, 2019
There have been concern about HP Laptops with HP’s recall of batteries but HP Laptops are not listed on the flight ban despite HP expanding its worldwide voluntary safety recall and replacement program for certain notebook computer and mobile workstation batteries which was announced in January 2018 and expanded in January 2019.
HP found that certain batteries on certain laptops, notebook computers and ZBooks and mobile workstations sold between 2015-2018 have the potential to overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to customers. But these devices are not on the FAA ban list. Needless to say, if you own the following devices listed by HP, according to HP, “HP customers affected by this program will be eligible to receive a replacement battery for each verified, affected battery at no cost.”
Batteries affected by this program may have been shipped with specific HP Probook 64x (G2 and G3), HP ProBook 65x (G2 and G3), HP ProBook 4xx G4 (430, 440, 450, 455, and 470), HP x360 310 G2, HP ENVY M6, HP Pavilion x360 15 inch, HP 11 notebook computers and HP ZBook (17 G3, 17 G4, and Studio G3 & G4) mobile workstations sold worldwide from December 2015 through October 2018. They were also sold as accessories or provided as replacements from December 2015 through December 2018 for the above products, as well as additional products through HP or an authorized HP Service Provider, including certain HP Mobile Thin Client products.
Many of these batteries are internal to the system, which means they are not customer replaceable. HP is providing battery replacement services by an authorized technician at no cost. HP is also releasing an update to the BIOS to add batteries affected by the program expansion. The updated BIOS places the battery in “Battery Safety Mode” so that the notebook or workstation can be safely used without the battery by connecting to an HP power adaptor. Batteries affected by this recall should immediately be put into “Battery Safety Mode”.
The FAA has also kept a list of incidents of events involving smoke, fire, extreme heat or explosions involving lithium batteries.
So, if you are traveling with a laptop as of August 2019, just know the laptops banned on flights if you are on a US flight is the 15-inch 2015-2017 MacBook Pro. Other countries have also followed by banning MacBook Pro’s on flights.
