Korean Air is prohibiting the use of PowerBooks, iBooks, and all Dell laptops in-flight citing the possibility that the computer batteries might explode. The Korea Times reports that the airline made the move on August 30 in response to battery recalls from both companies.
Apple and Dell issued recalls for Sony-made laptop batteries that pose a risk of overheating because of small metal fragments in the power cells.
Passengers can still carry their laptop in the flight cabin, but the battery must be placed in checked luggage.
Apple Korea spokesperson, Kim Min-seok, stated that Korean Air is "overreacting." Korean Air officials, however, feel that the risk of fire warrants the ban.
The ban is also likely to be a problem for MacBook Pro owners since the Intel-based laptop looks almost identical to its older PowerBook G4 brother. MacBook Pro and MacBook batteries are not included in the recall.
Korean Air did not say how long the ban would be in place.