WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone devices will be banned from aircraft in the United States starting on Saturday at noon EDT (1600 GMT) under an emergency order, regulators said on Friday after numerous reports of the devices catching fire.

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) scrapped its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone on Tuesday because of incidents where the phones began smoking or caught fire, dealing a huge blow to its reputation. The decision came after reports of fires in replacement devices prompted a new round of warnings from regulators, phone carriers and airlines.

The order from the U.S. Transportation Department and other agencies bars owners from carrying on the devices or stowing them in checked baggage during flights.

“We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

“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 Transportation Department warned that passengers who packed the devices in checked luggage raised the risk of “a catastrophic incident.”

“Anyone violating the ban may be subject to criminal prosecution in addition to fines,” the department said in a press statement.

The agency said that the phones might be confiscated from passengers attempting to take them onboard, and that people found onboard with the phones might face fines.

In another statement issued late Friday, the department clarified that owners who attempt to travel by air with Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices would only be “denied boarding.”

The world’s largest phone maker this week said it was also expanding a U.S. recall of the fire-prone model to a total of 1.9 million Note 7 phones, including the 1 million Galaxy Note 7s it recalled on Sept. 15.

An employee checks an exchanged Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 7 at company's headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, October 13, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday the Note 7’s battery “can overheat and catch fire, posing serious fire and burn hazard to consumers.”

It added that Samsung had received 96 reports of batteries in Note 7 phones overheating in the United States, including 23 new reports since the Sept. 15 recall announcement.</s>Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices -- which are known to catch fire -- are being banned from all U.S. flights.

The U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration announced the emergency order on Friday afternoon. The ban will go into effect Saturday at noon (Eastern Standard Time).

Government regulators warn that anyone caught trying to fly in a passenger plane with a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 could have their phone confiscated and "may face fines."

And if passengers try to stash their Note 7 phones in checked luggage to avoid getting caught, they face "criminal prosecution."

In a prepared statement, 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."

"Even one fire incident inflight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk," Foxx said.

The ban also means the phones "cannot be shipped as air cargo," according to government regulators. That will make Samsung customer trade-ins and refunds difficult.

The FAA had previously urged passengers to turn off their Galaxy Note 7 smartphones -- and not charge their batteries -- while on a flight.

This ban now puts Galaxy Note 7 smartphones on the long list of items banned from flights, such as lighter fluid, electronic cigarettes and hand grenades.

The FAA's critical move comes four days after Samsung told customers worldwide to turn off their phones -- an unprecedented warning for an extremely popular smartphone.

Samsung (SSNLF) released the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 7 device in August as a competitor to Apple's new iPhone 7. But customers immediately started complaining that some phones were catching fire.

The company explained that faulty lithium-ion batteries were overheating the device and causing it to ignite.

The South Korean electronics manufacturer took several steps to limit the damage from its dangerously glitchy smartphone.

The company offered replacement phones -- but some of those burst into flames too.

In the past week, Samsung halted production of the device, then announced it was killing off the product line entirely.

But even those returns are running into problems, because Samsung Note 7s are now banned from FedEx, UPS and USPS planes, and FedEx ground collections are tightly restricted.

Samsung is attempting to make itself right with customers, so it's offering customers a full refund -- plus a $100 credit for those who buy another Samsung phone.

The disaster is expected to cost Samsung more than $5 billion. The company's stock, which trades in Seoul, has fallen 4% this week.</s>Air passengers travelling to the United States have been warned that they may not bring Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices after an emergency order by US regulators.

Anybody found carrying a Galaxy 7 may have them taken off them or criminal prosecution and fines.

Numerous reports of the devices catching fire around the world prompted the tech giant to scrap the smartphone in one of the biggest such recalls in history.

Aer Lingus warned its customers in a statement on Saturday that the devices had been banned in the US and Canada. “Guests who own or possess a Samsung Galaxy Note7 device may not transport the device on their person, in carry-on baggage, or in checked baggage on flights to, from, or within the United States.

“The phones also cannot be shipped as air cargo.”

Samsung recalled the flagship smartphone on Tuesday because of incidents where the phones began smoking or caught fire, dealing a huge blow to its reputation. The decision came after reports of fires in replacement devices prompted a new round of warnings from regulators, phone carriers and airlines.

The order from the US Transportation Department and other agencies bars owners from carrying on the devices or stowing them in checked baggage during flights.

“We recognise that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

“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 Transportation Department warned that passengers who packed the devices in checked luggage raised the risk of “a catastrophic incident.”

“Anyone violating the ban may be subject to criminal prosecution in addition to fines,” the department said in a press statement.

The agency said that the phones might be confiscated from passengers attempting to take them onboard, and that people found onboard with the phones might face fines.

In another statement issued late Friday, the department clarified that owners who attempt to travel by air with Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices would only be “denied boarding.”</s>MILAN (AP) — Italy’s flagship airline Alitalia has banned the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone on all flights effective immediately, following an emergency order prohibiting the phone on flights in the United States.

The airline said in a statement Saturday that it imposed the ban based on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s emergency order “to guarantee maximum security standards.” The moves follow reports of the phones catching fire.

Alitalia said passengers will no longer be able to bring the phone into the cabin in hand baggage, following a previous ban on sending it as checked baggage or air cargo.

Samsung has recalled more than 2.5 million of the smartphones, citing a battery manufacturing error.</s>It's time to leave your Samsung Galaxy Note 7 at home.

Or better yet, just get rid of it.

The Note 7 is becoming increasingly unwelcome on planes worldwide. At least eight international airlines are prohibiting Note 7 owners from bringing the smartphone on their flights. That means travelers also cannot carry the device in checked bags or carry-on luggage.

AirAsia, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Malaysia Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Air New Zealand have all announced bans on the phone.

Those announcements come after U.S. government regulators announced similar bans. The U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration released an emergency order last week preventing Note 7 owners from bringing their phones on planes or in luggage.

U.S. officials said passengers who flout those rules could face fines or criminal prosecution.

The restrictions are piling up for Samsung's (SSNLF) troubled phone, which has been reported to catch fire. After a failed attempt to sell a new version of the phone, the South Korean company said last week that it would stop making and selling all Note 7s.

The Hong Kong International Airport and Canadian aviation authority Transport Canada have also banned the phone.</s>Samsung Electronics Co Ltd ( ) scrapped its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone on Tuesday because of incidents where the phones began smoking or caught fire, dealing a huge blow to its reputation. The decision to scrap the Note 7 came after reports of fires in replacement devices prompted a new round of warnings from regulators, phone carriers and airlines.

The order from the U.S. Transportation Department and other agencies bars owners from carrying on the devices or stowing them in checked baggage during flights.

"We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority," said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

"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 Transportation Department warned that passengers who packed the devices in checked luggage raised the risk of "a catastrophic incident."

"Anyone violating the ban may be subject to criminal prosecution in addition to fines," the department said in a press statement.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — Passengers and flight crews will be banned from bringing Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones on airline flights under an emergency order issued Friday by the Department of Transportation in response to reports of the phones catching fire.

The order, which goes into effect on Saturday at noon EDT, says the phones may not be carried on board or packed in checked bags on flights to and from the United States or within the country. The phones also can’t be shipped as air cargo.

The department initially said that passengers attempting to board planes with the phones might face fines, but later clarified that such passengers will simply not be allowed on planes. Passengers who try to evade the ban by packing the phone in their checked luggage may be subject to criminal prosecution in addition to fines. Packing the phones in checked luggage increases the risk of a “catastrophic incident,” the department said.

Passengers who are currently traveling with Samsung Galaxy Note7 phones should contact Samsung or their wireless carrier immediately to obtain information about how to return their phones and arrange for a refund or a replacement phone, the department said.

Samsung has recalled more than 2.5 million of the smartphones, citing a battery manufacturing error. The South Korean company discontinued the product earlier this week, less than two months after its August release.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says there have been nearly 100 reports of batteries in Note 7 phones overheating in the U.S. One fire erupted on a Southwest Airlines flight earlier this month. In another case, a family in St. Petersburg, Florida, reported a Galaxy Note 7 phone left charging in their Jeep caught fire, destroying the vehicle.

The Federal Aviation Administration had previously warned passengers not to pack the phones in their checked bags and to power them off and not charge them while on board planes.

“We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “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.”

Samsung said in a statement that it is working with the department to make customers aware of the ban. The company also urged Note 7 customers to get a refund or exchange their phones by visiting their wireless carrier or retail store. Samsung has a website at http://www.samsung.com/us/note7recall/ and a phone number, 1-844-365-6197, for customers with questions.

The Note 7 isn’t the only gadget to catch fire thanks to lithium-battery problems, which have afflicted everything from laptops to Tesla cars to Boeing’s 787 jetliner. At least three U.S. airlines are adding new fire-suppression equipment to fleets in case a cellphone or laptop battery overheats, catches on fire and can’t be extinguished.

Rechargeable lithium batteries are more susceptible to overheating than other types of batteries if they are exposed to high temperatures, are damaged or have manufacturing flaws. Once overheating starts, it can lead to “thermal runaway” in which temperatures continue escalating to very high levels. Water can extinguish the flames, but doesn’t always halt the thermal runaway. Flames will often reappear after initially being quenched.

Lithium batteries are ubiquitous in consumer electronic devices. Manufacturers like them because they weigh less and pack considerably more energy into the same space than other types of batteries.

Earlier this year, the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency that sets global aviation safety standards, banned bulk shipments of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries as cargo on passenger planes until better packaging can be developed to prevent a fire from spreading and potentially destroying the plane.

Follow Joan Lowy at http://twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy. Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/joan-lowy</s>WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), today announced it is issuing an emergency order to ban all Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone devices from air transportation in the United States. Individuals who own or possess a Samsung Galaxy Note7 device may not transport the device on their person, in carry-on baggage, or in checked baggage on flights to, from, or within the United States. This prohibition includes all Samsung Galaxy Note7 devices. The phones also cannot be shipped as air cargo. The ban will be effective on Saturday, October 15, 2016, at noon ET.

“We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “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.”

Device owners have experienced documented incidents of dangerous evolution of heat with both recalled and replacement Samsung Galaxy Note7 devices. Samsung and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) acknowledged this imminent safety hazard with the company’s September 15, 2016 and October 13, 2016 recalls. Additionally, on October 11, 2016, Samsung suspended the manufacture and sale of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 device.

“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,” said CPSC Chairman Elliot F. Kaye. “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.”

What air travelers should know

If passengers attempt to travel by air with their Samsung Galaxy Note7 devices, they will be denied boarding.

Passengers who attempt to evade the ban by packing their phone in checked luggage are increasing the risk of a catastrophic incident. Anyone violating the ban may be subject to criminal prosecution in addition to fines.

Passengers currently traveling with Samsung Galaxy Note7 phones should contact Samsung or their wireless carrier immediately to obtain information about how to return their phones and arrange for a refund or a replacement phone. Samsung has provided guidance for customers about refund and replacement options, as well as how to contact wireless carriers, at http://www.samsung.com/us/note7recall/ [external link]. Samsung is also answering customers’ questions at 1-844-365-6197.

If an airline representative observes that a passenger is in possession of a Samsung Note7 device prior to boarding an aircraft, the air carrier must deny boarding to the passenger unless and until the passenger divests themselves and their carry-on and checked baggage of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 device. Passengers absolutely should not pack the phones in their checked luggage.

If a flight crew member identifies that a passenger is in possession of a Samsung Galaxy Note7 device while the aircraft is in flight, the crew member must instruct the passenger to power off the device, not use or charge the device while aboard the aircraft, protect the device from accidental activation, including disabling any features that may turn on the device, such as alarm clocks, and keep the device on their person and not in the overhead compartment, seat back pocket, nor in any carry-on baggage, for the duration of the flight.

The Samsung Galaxy Note7 device is considered a forbidden hazardous material under the Federal Hazardous Material Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-185), which forbid airline passengers or crew from traveling with lithium cells or batteries or portable electronic devices that are likely to generate a dangerous evolution of heat. PHMSA has issued a special permit to Samsung to facilitate commercial shipment of the recalled devices by ground transportation.

The Emergency Order will be on display in the Federal Register display on Friday, October 14, 2016, and the ban will be effective on Saturday, October 15, 2016, at noon ET.For additional information on the recall, visit the CPSC website at www.cpsc.gov.

For additional information on returning your recalled Galaxy Note7 device to the manufacturer, call 1-800-SAMSUNG or 1-800-726-7864 or visit the website: http://www.samsung.com/us/note7recall/ [external link]

For additional information about safe travel with lithium batteries and other potentially hazardous materials, visit the DOT Safe Travel Website at http://phmsa.dot.gov/safetravel/batteries.

Additional passenger information from the FAA is available at: http://www.faa.gov/Go/PackSafe. For all other questions about the transportation of hazardous materials, contact PHMA’s Hazardous Materials Information Center at 1-800-467-4922 or infocntr@dot.gov

 END

Due to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ban prohibiting all Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices on aircraft as of 12 Noon on October 15, 2016, this device is now also banned on all Cayman Airways and Cayman Airways Express aircraft.

Passengers in possession of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 should not attempt to travel on Cayman Airways with this device on their person, in their carry-on bags, or in their checked baggage.</s>Passengers and flight crews will be banned from bringing Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones on airline flights under emergency orders issued Friday by both Transport Canada and the U.S. Department of Transportation in response to reports of the phones catching fire.

The orders, which are effective immediately in Canada and at noon EDT Saturday in the U.S., say the phones may not be carried on board or packed in checked bags on flights to and from Canada and the United States or within either country. The phones also can’t be shipped as air cargo.

Passengers with the phones will not be allowed to board planes. And those who try to evade the U.S. ban by packing the phones in checked luggage may be subject to criminal prosecution in addition to fines. Transport officials in both countries warned that carrying the phones in checked luggage increases the potential danger to the flight.

Samsung has recalled more than 2.5 million of the smartphones, citing a battery manufacturing error. The South Korean company discontinued the product earlier this week, less than two months after its August release.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says there have been nearly 100 reports of batteries in Note 7 phones overheating in the United States. One fire erupted on a Southwest Airlines flight earlier this month. In another case, a family in St. Petersburg, Florida, reported a Galaxy Note 7 phone left charging in their Jeep caught fire, destroying the vehicle.

Transport Canada and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration had previously warned passengers not to pack the phones in their checked bags and to power them off and not charge them while on board planes.

“We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “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.”

Samsung said in a statement that it is working with the department to make customers aware of the ban. The company also urged Note 7 customers to get a refund or exchange their phones by visiting their wireless carrier or retail store. Samsung has a website at http://www.samsung.com/us/note7recall/ and a phone number, 1-844-365-6197, for customers with questions.

The Note 7 isn’t the only gadget to catch fire thanks to lithium-battery problems, which have afflicted everything from laptops to Tesla cars to Boeing’s 787 jetliner. At least three U.S. airlines are adding new fire-suppression equipment to fleets in case a cellphone or laptop battery overheats, catches on fire and can’t be extinguished.

Rechargeable lithium batteries are more susceptible to overheating than other types of batteries if they are exposed to high temperatures, are damaged or have manufacturing flaws. Once overheating starts, it can lead to “thermal runaway” in which temperatures continue escalating to very high levels. Water can extinguish the flames, but doesn’t always halt the thermal runaway. Flames will often reappear after initially being quenched.

Lithium batteries are ubiquitous in consumer electronic devices. Manufacturers like them because they weigh less and pack considerably more energy into the same space than other types of batteries.

Earlier this year, the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency that sets global aviation safety standards, banned bulk shipments of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries as cargo on passenger planes until better packaging can be developed to prevent a fire from spreading and potentially destroying the plane.

-- With files from The Canadian Press</s>Oct 15 German carrier Air Berlin on Saturday said it had banned Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 mobile phones from flights, while rival Lufthansa said it had banned the phones on services to and from the United States and expected that soon the ban would apply to all other Lufthansa business.

The bans come in response to numerous reports of the devices catching fire.

A note on Air Berlin's customer website said that carrying the mobile phones was not allowed on its flights with immediate effect.

Earlier on Saturday, Singapore Airlines said it had banned the mobile phones and U.S. regulators said on Friday the devices would be banned starting from from Saturday noon EDT (1600 GMT) under an emergency order.

A Lufthansa spokesman, in reply to a question, said the airline was banning the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on all U.S.-related flights for the time being with the wider ban expected soon. (Reporting by Ralf Bode; Writing by Vera Eckert; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
The U.S. Transportation Department's emergency order banning Samsung Galaxy Note 7 from aircraft in the United States goes into effect.