US officials are banning Galaxy Note 7’s from US flights, Bloomberg reports

All Galaxy Note 7 smartphones are soon to be banned from all US flights.

As if the shit pile couldn’t get any higher for Samsung, Bloomberg is reporting that government officials are planning to ban all Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in the United States.

Of course this news comes right on the heels after Samsung announced it would be killing off the Note 7 and issued a global recall.

Here’s a brief snippet of the Bloomberg report:

All Samsung Electronics Co. Note 7 smartphones will be banned from airline flights by the U.S. government, according to a person familiar with the decision that will be a significant expansion of restrictions on the devices linked to almost 100 incidents of overheating and fires.

Flight restrictions were extended to each of the 1.9 million Note 7s sold in the U.S. and the devices now can’t be carried aboard aircraft even if they’ve been shut off, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration will announce Friday.

Before this news, the FAA advised flyers to power down their Galaxy Note 7 before boarding a plane. Of course, that didn’t stop a device from blowing up on a Southwest flight. Not to mention all the ones blowing up that weren’t on planes.

Here’s what Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement to The Verge:

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 risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk.

If you’re one of the few to still own a Note 7 and plan on sneaking it onto a plane, Gizmodo obtained a comment from the TSA for clarification as to what would happen if a passenger was caught attempting to smuggle a Note 7 onto a plane:

In the event the phones are banned, our officers would not be searching for the phones. If, in the course of their normal duties, they encounter one at the checkpoint, they would inform the owner that the phone is not allowed on the aircraft and direct the passenger to leave the checkpoint and come back without the phone. If discovered in checked baggage, it would be turned over to the airline.

If you or someone you know is still holding on to one, have them return it immediately. Hell, Samsung will even pay you $100 if you stay in the family.

► Bloomberg

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.