Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones will be banned from all airline flights after nearly 100 incidents of the devices overheating and sometimes injuring owners, the Transportation Department announced Friday.
The Federal Aviation Administration previously urged travelers not to turn on the phones, pack them in checked luggage or charge them during a flight. The new ban is effective at noon Saturday, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said.
“We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority,” Foxx said. “We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident inflight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk.”
The South Korea-based Samsung said it is working to communicate the ban to travelers. The company announced Monday it was halting production of the device after some updated versions of the phones continued to overheat, following a recall of the first version.
“We have encouraged airlines to issue similar communications directly to their passengers," the company said in a statement Friday. "We realize this is an inconvenience but your safety has to remain our top priority.”
[US Today]
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