Airlines around the world have now banned Samsung’s troubled Galaxy Note 7 smartphone over the fire risks posed by the device’s lithium-ion battery.

The Guardian reports that following a ban by the US Federal Aviation Authority British Airways prohibits the Note 7 on flights going to the US, Canada and Hong Kong.

Several airlines have also started taking the precaution of fitting planes with new fire containment bags which are designed to seal up and prevent electronic devices that have caught fire from damaging the plane.

The exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones have highlighted the risks of lithium-ion batteries and their potential for damage within enclosed or flammable environments. But they are not the first battery-containing devices to be banned from flights.

The problems with the phone could cost South Korean company Samsung as much as £4bn and they have issued a profit warning.

Australian and New Zealand airlines have banned the phone from all planes, as have Singapore Airlines, Taiwan’s two biggest airlines China Airlines and EVA Air and Malaysia-based AirAsia.

Japan’s transport ministry ordered airlines to completely ban the Note 7 from flights, including the country’s largest operators All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines.

Travellers ignoring the ban will have their smartphones confiscated with the possibility of further punitive measures.

South Korea’s Asiana has banned Note 7s from all flights, while almost all mainland Chinese airlines including Cathay Pacific have also banned the device. Hong Kong’s international airport has prohibited passengers from carrying the device on any incoming or outgoing flights, either in checked or carry-on baggage, while Hong Kong Airlines and Hong Kong Express have both joined the ban.

In Europe, Germany’s Air Berlin has now banned the Note 7 from flights while rival Lufthansa said that the device was banned on US flights and will soon be prohibited on all others. Italy’s flagship airline Alitalia joined in on the ban too.

For more go to https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/oct/17/samsung-galaxy-note-7-airlines-asia-us-europe-ban-exploding-smartphone

* A pioneering invention called an AvSax can minimise the fire danger in seconds with its unique use of water.

Simply pour at least two litres of water into an AvSax and then drop the burning device into the bag. The water activates a polymer gel inside the bag’s lining causing it to expand around the device. Should the device keep on burning then the AvSax is tough enough to absorb the force.