Virgin Australia banned all MacBooks from checked in baggage (via Mac Prices). It said the change was due to “a worldwide recall by Apple of a number of Apple MacBook batteries.”
Virgin Australia Issues Ban After MacBook Recall
Passengers can still take a MacBook onto a flight in their carry-on luggage. In an update to its Dangerous Goods policy, Virgin Australia wrote:
Due to a worldwide recall by Apple of a number of Apple MacBook batteries, ALL Apple MacBooks must be placed in carry-on baggage only. No Apple MacBooks are permitted in checked in baggage until further notice.
More Airlines Ban Apple Devices
Furthermore, Virgin Australia is far from the only airline making these decision. On Sunday Singapore Airlines banned 15-inch MacBook Pros (via 9to5 Mac). Thai Airlines has made the same decision. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the US Federal Aviation Agency issued alerts airlines reminding them of the recall.
In June, Apple announced a voluntary recall of 15-inch MacBook Pros. It admitted that “in a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units, the battery may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.”