Department of Transportation Bans Samsung Note 7 Devices from All Flights

Officials in the United States have issued an emergency order to ban the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone from all flights in America, dubbing the phone a “forbidden hazardous material.”

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s official website, airline passengers who own a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone are no longer permitted to travel with their device on their person, in carry-on baggage or in checked baggage.

In addition, the phones are not permitted to be transported as air cargo.

The new regulation—which went into effect Saturday—applies to all flights to, from or within the United States. Any passenger caught attempting to take the Samsung Galaxy devices on flights will have the phone confiscated and could face fines, according to the Department of Transportation.

The ban of all Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones by the Department of Transportation is also supported by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Last week, Samsung announced it was discontinuing production of Galaxy Note 7 phones just two months after their launch due to numerous reports of the devices bursting into flames, including several on planes.

The FAA originally began asking airline passengers not to turn on or charge Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices during flights due to the risk of exploding batteries on Sept 8.

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