Airplanes to be equipped with fire-containment bags

There is a whole series of changes created by the Samsung marketing and technology drama, as there were many incidents recorded with Galaxy Note7 smartphones that burn or explode. Not only they affect the brand but also they are changing the electronics industry. After the debate caused by Note7, several airlines have decided to equip passenger planes with special bags in which to put electronics that overheat and catch fire during the flights.

Even though during the time there were not so many such accidents as US aviation authority FAA has recorded 129 such incidents in the past 25 years. However, their number was multiplied in 2016, when 23 cases were recorded.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Delta Air Lines has decided to equip 166 of its airplanes that fly to long-haul destinations with enough fire containment bags so that passengers will receive two bags each. The rest of its planes will be outfitted with the bags by the end of 2017.

Delta is not the first carrier to try to mitigate potential fire hazards – Virgin America and Alaska Air Group began installing fire containment bags in their airplanes earlier this year, after a flight attendant on Alaska Air had to extinguish a fire caused by a credit card reader overheating during a flight to Seattle. It is very possible that this will become a standard as soon as more airline companies decide to equip their fleet with special bags on board.

The heavy-duty bags are made of fire-resistant material and are big enough to hold laptops. They’re shut with Velcro and zippers and can withstand temperatures of more than 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Alaska has two versions of the bag: one for its pilots in the cockpit, and a larger one for the main cabin.