The U.S. Department of Transportation is not taking any chances with Samsung‘s Galaxy Note 7 — the phone that started smoking on a Southwest Airlines Co. (ticker: LUV) plane last week. Along with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, it announced an emergency order banning the devices for U.S. air travel.
“We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. “We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident in flight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk.”
Passengers cannot carry the device on their person nor in carry-on or checked luggage to, from or within the U.S. Violation of the ban could lead to fines.
Both Samsung and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission noted the dangers of the phone, given the Sept. 15 and Oct. 13 recalls. Samsung halted both the production and sale of the phone.
The emergency order will appear in the Federal Register Friday and the ban will go into effect Saturday at 12 p.m. EST.
The smartphone market continues to be as competitive as ever, with Apple Inc. (AAPL) recently announcing the iPhone 7, in addition to Alphabet’s (GOOG, GOOGL) attempt to make more headway with Google’s Pixel.
7 Dividend Stocks to Buy That Pay More Each Year
7 of the Worst Product Flops Ever, Besides the Samsung Galaxy Note 7
More from U.S. News
7 Dividend Stocks to Buy That Pay More Each Year
7 of the Worst Product Flops Ever, Besides the Samsung Galaxy Note 7
10 of the Kardashians’ Favorite Companies
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Banned From Airplanes By Feds originally appeared on usnews.com
