The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has banned all Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphones on flights after the devices were reported to have caught fire due to overheating.
The ban comes into effect from 15 October. Passengers are now not allowed to carry the devices on flights or in their luggage to and from the US.
US 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.
“We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident inflight poses a high
There have been incidents of the devices blowing up.
risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk.”
The transportation department said that device owners have experienced documented incidents of dangerous evolution of heat with both recalled and replacement Samsung Galaxy Note7 devices.
The device is considered a forbidden hazardous material under the Federal Hazardous Material Regulations.
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Samsung suspended the production and sale of the Galaxy Note7 device from 11 October.
In September, the company said that it had given replacements to 60% of its customers owing the smartphones in the US and Korea following a recall issued for the devices.
On 13 October, it expanded the recall on all original and replacement Galaxy Note7 devices sold or exchanged in the US.
The recall was announced in cooperation with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and in partnership with carriers and retailers.
CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye said: “The fire hazard with the original Note7 and with the replacement Note7 is simply too great for anyone to risk it and not respond to this official recall.
“I would like to remind consumers once again to take advantage of the remedies offered, including a full refund. It’s the right thing to do and the safest thing to do.”
In August, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 7, which updates its flagship phablet line with new durability and security features.
The smartphone comes with a new iris scanner to boost the security of the device. The company developed its own proprietary algorithm to assign a digital signature to each user’s iris.
