FAA Bans Specific Apple MacBook Pro Model on US Flights | Find Out Which Model

Urian B., Tech Times 03 September 2021, 02:09 am

The FAA is now banning a specific 2015 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro that reportedly had defective batteries on US flights. For those that own 2015 MacBook Pros or aren't sure of the model, there's a simple way to check.

FAA Bans Dangerous Devices on Airplanes

Samsung has suffered some backlash over the Galaxy Note 7 being banned from US flights once the device exploded on a Southwest Airlines flight, according to PCWorld. Apple had also attracted similar attention after Bloomberg reportedly quoted a statement that came from the United States Federal Aviation Administration that confirmed that the 2015 15-inch MacBook Pros that had defective batteries were banned from US flights.

The FAA statement also follows a "voluntary" recall for the devices that Apple reportedly issued in June which followed the discovery that the batteries were actually a fire risk due to them being prone to overheating. The recall also applies to a number of variations of this model made from September 2015 to February 2017. The exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was recalled in the past as early as 2017 for its exploding batteries.

MacBook Pro Hasn't Caught Fire Yet

There have also reportedly been no reports of one of these MacBook models catching fire just yet on a flight. The ban has technically been in place ever since Apple issued its recall. On July 10, 2021, the FAA quote-tweeted a certain post by Digital Trends with photos of the reportedly affected MacBook with the reminder that the recalled batteries do not fly.

According to the story by MacWorld, this is the FAA's policy for all batteries that are recalled, although it's actually quite rare for them to publicly call out everything. Bloomberg's report notes that the main difference, in this case, is that the FAA actually alerted the airlines regarding the recall and also issued a statement.

EU Aviation Safety Agency Makes Moves

So far, the EU Aviation Safety Agency has reportedly only told airlines to make sure that all of the affected MacBooks are turned off and are not used when on flights. The model has also already been banned on four cargo carriers namely Thomas Cook Airlines, TUI Group Airlines, Air Italy, as well as Air Transat. Other products that have been recalled in the past include Intel smartwatches for burning wearers.

For those that don't know if their model was recalled, click on the Apple icon located on the top left corner of the macOS menu bar and click on About This Mac. If the Overview Menu notes "MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid2015)," this could mean you have an affected model.

How to Check if Your MacBook Pro Model has a Recall

Copy the serial number of the unit and plug it into the Apple recall site to know for sure. After that, owners will have to take the device either to a nearby Apple Store or at least an Apple Authorized Service Provider nearby to have the model replaced for free.

Owners can also check on the official Apple support page in order to mail it in, but the whole process could take up to two weeks. Once again, it would be better to keep safe and replace the model instead of waiting for something bad to potentially happen.

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Written by Urian B.