Samsung Galaxy Note 7: US government issues emergency order over phones as they are banned throughout the world

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has been entirely banned from flights across the world because it keeps blowing up.

Airlines have long been issuing specific notices about Samsung’s explosive phone, warning travellers that they should never turn them on or charge them during a flight. But now governments and airlines are banning them from flights entirely.

The decision follows Samsung’s announcement that it would stop making the problem phones and recall all of the ones that have been released. Samsung has suggested that it doesn’t know why the phones keep having problems and so there doesn’t appear to be any way of knowing if any particular phone is safe.

The US Department of Transportation has completely banned the phones from being carried on or packed into checked bags on flights that are going to and from the country or are flying within it. The phones also can’t be shipped as cargo.

Passengers trying to fly with the phones will have them confiscated and may face fines for attempting to do so.

"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 that it is working to make people aware of the ban.

The US government joins just about every major airline across the world in banning the phones from flights. Companies across Asia, Europe and the US have already prohibited the phones from being carried onboard.

Some planes are also being fitted with fire-containment bags. Those can be used if a phone does catch fire, allowing them to be placed inside and so stopping any damage from being done to the plane.