Apple Banned

You can't take it with you.

SEOUL (Korea Times) -- Korean Air have forbidden use of Dell and Apple notebooks during flight due to the risk of battery explosion.

'Due to the risk of onboard fire, we are not allowing passengers to use certain brands of laptops on the plane. Safety always comes first for us', a Korean Air spokesperson said, adding they were unsure when the ban would be lifted.

The airline prohibited all models of Dell laptops and Apple's Powerbook and iBook series, while users can still carry them if they separate the batteries into checked baggage.

'We have put notices at check-in counters and boarding gates but we don't inspect all carry-on baggage', a gate attendant said.

Korean Air are the second airline company in the world to restrict in-flight use of Dell and Apple notebooks. Last month Australia's Quantas announced a similar policy.

The fact that lithium ion batteries are known to catch fire and explode even when not in use seems to have been sidestepped by both carriers.