Singapore Airlines (SIA) has banned certain models of Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Pro from all of their flights effective immediately.
In an announcement on the SIA website yesterday (August 25), the airline said that MacBook Pros sold between September 2015 to February 2017 will not be allowed as hand-carry or checked baggage until “the battery has been verified as safe or replaced by the manufacturer.”
Apart from SIA, Thai Airways and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam have banned these MacBooks from being taken on their flights as well.
This follows an announcement by Apple back in June, who said that “in a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units, the battery may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.” The company added that they will replace all affected batteries free of charge.
To check if your MacBook is eligible for a battery replacement, click the Apple logo () at the top left corner of your screen, and the model listed in the “About This Mac” option must be “Macbook Pro Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015.”
If your MacBook does indeed fall under that classification, input the serial number in Apple’s website to confirm that your eligibility. If all that checks out, you can then make an appointment at an Apple Store to make the replacement, which will take approximately 3-5 days.
Considering that it would be an logistical nightmare for SIA’s staff to check if a battery has been replaced or not, we’re guessing that these MacBooks will not be allowed on flights regardless of whether you’ve gone through the battery replacement programme or not.
Feature Image Credit: Vulcan Post
