SAA becomes latest airline to ban Samsung Galaxy Note 7 from its flights
NOT TAKING CHANCES
CRISIS hit South Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung has been dealt another blow with SAA yesterday being the latest airliner to ban its Galaxy Note 7 cellphone from its flights.
The move comes on the heels of similar ban orders by other airlines. On Friday the US Department of Transportation issued an emergency order banning the cellphone from flights coming in and out of the US. Qantas, Air New Zealand and Virgin have also banned the device.
Tlali Tlali, SAA spokesman, said the decision was made after the airline considered the safety concerns associated with the device.
“The recall of the phone by the manufacturer based on safety considerations and the announcement made by regulatory authorities in some key markets we fly to have left us with no option but to comply,” Tlali said.
Ill-fated
The ill-fated smartphone, which initially received warm welcome by pundits upon its launch on August 19, lasted only two months in the market.
Initial reports of the device exploding began to emerge in late August, with more reports being reported across the globe.
Early this month in the US, a Southwest Airlines flight had to be evacuated before take-off after a Galaxy Note 7 reportedly went up in smoke.
The Galaxy Note 7 fiasco has seen the company’s share plunge by 8 percent with $17 billion of its market value being wiped off. The company then issued a worldwide recall in September before announcing its decision to halt the production of the cellphone last week.
Tlali said customers who failed to heed the airline’s ban of the device would be liable to fines and see their devices confiscated. “Non-compliance with the prohibition may lead to confiscation of the devices and/or fines being imposed on the passengers concerned.”
According to market research firm IDC, Samsung is the biggest seller of smartphone’s in the world, commanding 23 percent market share with Apple claiming second spot with 12 percent.
Significant failure
Steven Ambrose, an executive at Strategy Worx, said there was significant failure on Samsung’s part to ensure proper quality and safety assurance before rolling out the Galaxy Note 7.
However, he foresaw only short- to medium-term brand reputation hit on the company.
“They are too big a company and too big a brand to be drowned out by this,” Ambrose said.