Oman Air prohibits carrying certain Apple laptops in checked luggage

Muscat: Oman Air has announced that it will no longer allow older, 15-inch Macbook Pro laptops in checked luggage on its flights.

The airline said the decision was made because of safety concerns regarding the "older models" of the 15-inch Macbook Pro.

These laptops may be brought onto the plane as a part of the carry-on luggage as long as they are switched off for the duration of the flight. This move comes after technology conglomerate Apple determined that some lithium batteries for these devices sold between September 2015 and February are a "fire safety risk".

A statement by Oman Air read: "For the safety of our guests and crew, Oman Air has prohibited the carriage of older generation 15-inch Macbook Pro models in checked luggage.

"Guests are to refrain from bringing the affected models in checked baggage. They may be allowed as hand-carry peovided they remain switched off throughout the flight, protected from accidental activation, and not to be charged during the flight," the statement by Oman Air added.

Apple had previously said that it has found a defect in some of the models, and began a recall programme in June.

A statement by Apple read: "Apple has determined that, in a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units, the battery may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.

"Affected units were sold primarily between September 2015 and February 2017 and product eligibility is determined by the product serial number," the statement added.

Oman Air has asked everyone to check Apple's website for the lithium battery recall programme to find out if their laptops are included in the ban.