US transport authorities have banned all Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones from being carried on flights, including hold luggage.
Samsung issued a recall for all 2.5 million of these phones last week due to a risk of them catching fire.
US transportation secretary Anthony Foxx imposed the total ban on Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices being taken on any aircraft from Saturday, October 15.
Authorities in Canada and Hong Kong have also prohibited all of these devices from being taken on flights in their countries. While airlines including Qantas and Singapore Airlines have also banned passengers from taking these phones on flights.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has not gone as far as banning these Samsung phones and is still advising that passengers can take them onboard as long as they are “kept turned off and are not charged” on the flight.
Passengers who take Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones onboard US flights could face fines of up to $180,000 or prosecution if they try to hide them in their hold luggage.
Virgin Atlantic said that customers with a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device would not be able to take it on any of the airline's flights.
“If airport staff observe that a customer is in possession of a Samsung Note 7 device prior to boarding an aircraft, that customer will be denied boarding unless they can make arrangements for the device to be taken home or left with a family member,” said the airline in a statement.
“Customers should not pack the phones in their checked luggage.”
British Airways said the ban on these phones applied to flights “to, from, or within the United States, Canada or Hong Kong”.