Major U.S. airlines ban hoverboards due to fire risk

PanARMENIAN.Net - On Friday, December 11, three major U.S. airlines’ ban against so-called "hoverboards" goes into effect, Ars Technica reports.

American, United, and Delta banned the devices on Thursday out of concern that their lithium ion batteries could be a fire hazard on a flight. According to the Los Angeles Times, British Airways will also reject the self-balancing devices.

In a statement, Delta said that it had "reviewed hoverboard product specifications and found that manufacturers do not consistently provide detail about the size or power of their lithium-ion batteries. This investigation revealed devices often contain battery varieties above the government mandated 160 watt hour limit permitted aboard aircraft."

The company acknowledged that "occurrences are uncommon" but that hoverboards can "spontaneously overheat." The Consumer Product Safety Commission is also reportedly investigating the devices.

In 2013, Boeing had similar concerns about lithium ion batteries on-board its 787 Dreamliner aircraft.