Samsung Note 7 phones said to be banned on US airline flights

[DALLAS] All Samsung Electronics Co Note 7 smartphones will be banned from airline flights by the US 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 US 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.

Samsung on Tuesday said it was halting production and sales of the device following the latest spate of smoke, overheating and fire incidents in what was supposed to be a version that replaced a faulty lithium-ion battery with a safe one.

The company estimates the crisis will cost it US$5.3 billion in profits.

BLOOMBERG