After a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 device caught fire inside a Chennai-bound IndiGo aircraft on Friday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) asked all airlines to ban the use of this series of smartphones inside planes, while the company officials have been summoned by the aviation regulator on Monday.
The fire was reported inside the IndiGo aircraft coming from Singapore at the Chennai airport. Passengers travelling on 6E-054 flight from Singapore to Chennai noticed the smoke smell in the cabin this morning and immediately alerted the cabin crew on board, IndiGo said.
The crew found the smoke to be coming from the hat-rack of seat 23C after which the pilot alerted the ATC of the situation on board.
“Taking the precautionary measure, the cabin crew on priority relocated all passengers on other seats, and further observed smoke being emitted from a Samsung note 2 which was placed in the baggage (of a passenger) in the overhead bin.
The airline said the aircraft made a normal landing and all passengers were deplaned as per normal procedure.
“We are aware of an incident involving one of our devices. At Samsung, customer safety is our highest priority. We are in touch with relevant authorities to gather more information, and are looking into the matter,” a Samsung spokesperson said.