Aeroflot issues Samsung Galaxy Note 7 warning

Russia's biggest airline is advising passengers to not use Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices on its planes because of defective batteries that could cause fires.

Aeroflot recommends not transporting the smartphone in luggage, to turn off the device onboard the plane and not to charge it for the entire flight. The same recommendation has been made by another Russian carrier, S7.

Australian airlines Qantas Airways, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Tiger Airways have also banned passengers from using the Galaxy Note 7 on board; relevant recommendations were given by Washington to US airlines.

On September 2, Samsung announced a huge recall and stopped sales of its brand-new flagship Galaxy Note 7 over fears its battery may explode. In two days, September 9 and 12, the market value of the South Korean company plummeted 11 percent, or $22 billion. Samsung said it would replace the troubled devices with new ones. The phone debuted on August 19 and 2.5 million devices have been sold.

One incident with a Galaxy Note 7 happened in Florida, where a device exploded in the car, setting it on fire. The vehicle’s owner, Nathan Dornacher said his Galaxy Note 7 smartphone was charging inside his SUV when it burst into flames.

The phone is also said to be the reason for more than $1,300 worth of damage after catching fire in a hotel room while charging, a Reddit user commented.

Samsung is identifying its newer and safer Galaxy Note 7 devices with a round sticker with a blue ‘S’ in the corner of the box.