Virgin Australia and Qantas announces ban on MacBooks from checked-in luggage

Virgin Australia has announced a new ban applying to certain Mac laptops. Photo / 123RF

Australian travellers on a Qantas or Virgin Australia flight have been banned from taking any Apple MacBooks in their checked-in luggage following global concern over certain units catching on fire.

On Tuesday, Virgin announced they would be the first airline in Australia to issue the ban on the popular computer device.

In a statement to news.com.au, a spokesman said the ban would apply to all MacBook devices following global concerns about their battery, meaning each laptop will need to be brought on the plane with a passenger.

"The safety of our guests and crew is always our highest priority," the statement read.

"Due to the worldwide recall of some Apple MacBooks, we are requesting all guests take their Apple MacBooks as carry-on luggage as a safety precaution."

It is not known how long the travel ban will remain in place.

Following the announcement, Qantas said they too would be banning all Apple MacBook Pros from checked-in baggage until further notice.

"All Apple MacBook Pros must be carried in cabin baggage and switched off for flight following a recall notice issued by Apple," the statement read.

Virgin Australia said all MacBook laptops would need to be part of carry-on baggage going forward. Photo / 123RF

According to Apple, the MacBook model affected is the MacBook Pro built between September 2015 and February 2017.

The recall was put out over the lithium-ion battery, which in some models was prone to overheating and meant the device could catch fire.

Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration advised airlines to only place a ban on MacBook units with recalled batteries. But some airlines are going a step further.

Thai Airways has prohibited any of the 15-inch MacBook Pro machines released between September 2015 and February 2017 from their aircraft entirely, including both checked-in and carry-on luggage.

India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation regulatory body is also banning some 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops sold by Apple between September 2015 and February 2017 from flights.

It is not known how long the ban on MacBook laptops will be in place. Photo / Getty Images

The banned MacBook Pro laptops in India will not be allowed as checked-in baggage or hand luggage unless their battery has been replaced or they've been deemed safe by Apple.

MacBook Pro owners will only be able to tell if their computer is affected by checking its serial number on Apple's website, leading to confusion about how to tell one silver MacBook Pro from another and how to address the issue at airports.