Hoverboards get banned on Delta Airlines and British Airways, American airlines to follow suit

[AlTech]

So delta and British airways are banning the transport of hoverboards on their airplanes.

 

 

 

Hoverboards maybe on your holiday wish list, but at least two airlines are now keeping them grounded.

Delta Air Lines is banning the popular devices from their flights beginning Dec. 11 and American Airlines will prohibit them starting Saturday.

Southwest Airlines tells ABC News that they are reviewing their policy, but as of now the airline allows them "as long as the battery size requirements are met (the lithium-ion or lithium polymer battery cannot exceed 160 watt-hours)."

Delta said it is banning the "self-balancing personal transportation devices" in carry-on and checked baggage.

They say the "poorly labeled," powerful lithium-ion batteries powering them -- often exceeding government limits for being aboard aircraft -- pose a safety risk.

"Delta reviewed hoverboard product specifications and found that manufacturers do not consistently provide detail about the size or power of their lithium-ion batteries," the company said in its statement.

“While occurrences are uncommon, these batteries can spontaneously overheat and pose a fire hazard risk,” says the airline.

The company did not specify models or manufacturers, but rather banned all "balance gilders, hoverboards, and self-balancing boards of any type which use lithium or lithium-ion batteries."

Jet Blue and United Airlines do not accept hoverboards in carry-on or checked luggage.

I honestly am disgusted that people actually let the operation of these be legal. Seriously! I know someone who owns one. I've seen it work IRL and not explode but that doesn't mean that they won't in the future.

 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/delta-air-lines-banned-hoverboards/story?id=35699893

 

Leave comment below! 

[ImBleu]

Good Riddance.

 

Those things are dangerous.

 

[theereal]

People use hoverboards on planes? I hate those damn things, broke my elbow joint on one of those 2 weeks ago.

[Enderman]

Li batteries are really dangerous

 

they shouldnt just ban hoverboards, but pretty much any transportation device that uses high power Li batteries

[Enderman]

People use hoverboards on planes?

"carry on and check-in luggage"

[KemoKa]

Why don't they tell that to Boeing and Airbus? I mean, so far the majority of battery fires on planes have been caused by the batteries on their planes.

This is corporate hypocrisy at its finest, ladies and gentlemen!

[terrytek]

well fuck.

[pablopg69]

Why don't they tell that to Boeing and Airbus? I mean, so far the majority of battery fires on planes have been caused by the batteries on their planes.

This is corporate hypocrisy at its finest, ladies and gentlemen!

No, corporate hypocrisy would be banning hoverboards and then offering their own version that's "plan safe".

Airlines are not at fault that planes' Li batteries overheated a couple of times.

I think that this is the product of a couple of incidents that spoiled everything for everyone else.

[KemoKa]

No, corporate hypocrisy would be banning hoverboards and then offering their own version that's "plan safe".

Airlines are not at fault that planes' Li batteries overheated a couple of times.

I think that this is the product of a couple of incidents that spoiled everything for everyone else.

Bet you anything that this wouldn't have happened if 9/11 hadn't happened.

[QueenDemetria]

I honestly am disgusted that people actually let the operation of these be legal. Seriously! I know someone who owns one. I've seen it work IRL and not explode but that doesn't mean that they won't in the future.

The larger lithium batteries get the more dangerous they are. Things like phones are pretty safe, I don't see anybody monitoring battery temps or charging their phones in "fire resistant bags", but the Hobby/Radio Control people certainly do.

 

I imagine these swegways have pretty hefty batteries to power the large motors for long distances. At least they aren't banning them "because someone might fall off or hurt someone else", lithium fires are actually something to be worried about(especially since water doesn't put them out).

[Quinnbeast]

So, what's wrong with roller skates anyway? Pff, kids these days.

[QueenDemetria]

Why don't they tell that to Boeing and Airbus? I mean, so far the majority of battery fires on planes have been caused by the batteries on their planes.

If a planes battery catches on fire the airline is held accountable for it. If someones baggage catches on fire then its now a shitstorm to figure out who gets accountable for it, why it wasn't prevented, was it an act of terrorism, etc.

[KemoKa]

If a planes battery catches on fire the airline is held accountable for it. If someones baggage catches on fire then its now a shitstorm to figure out who gets accountable for it, why it wasn't prevented, was it an act of terrorism, etc.

Boeing and Airbus are definitely terrorists, come on...

[Lethal Seraph]

Hoverboards needs to have removable lithium battery packs to counter this ban. Everybody needs to be on the same page to be exact about dealing with lithium battery precautions to prevent high altitude airplane fire.

[AlTech]

Boeing and Airbus are definitely terrorists, come on...

Airbus yes. Boeing is not. Boeing is an american company! 

[KemoKa]

Airbus yes. Boeing is not. Boeing is an american company! 

Browning is an american company but they make firearms that kill people. 

Don't discriminate against American Companies. They might sexually identify as terrorist organizations!

Check your Death to the West privilege!

[CurlyCucumber]

I read this as "Motherboards get banned" not "Hoverboards get banned"

 

Had a bit of a "Huh?" moment there.

[KemoKa]

I read this as "Motherboards get banned" not "Hoverboards get banned"

 

Had a bit of a "Huh?" moment there.

well, shit. Motherboards now, huh?

I'm a dead man.

[JAKEBAB]

Why are they called hoverboards when it's not a fucking hoverboard wtf is wrong with people?! This is good, i think they should all be destroyed and banned until they change the dumb name! Idk why people like these things, they look cheap as shit!

[QueenDemetria]

Why are they called hoverboards when it's not a fucking hoverboard wtf is wrong with people?!

I believe it all started with Casey Neistat. I know he called it a hoverboard in his blogs a long time ago(earlier this year), and I noticed the term being used more and more since then. I prefer the term swegway, since its like a segway but with more sweg.

 

Also heres a weird thought: In Back to the Future, 2015 was the year that people had hoverboards. Its now 2015, we don't have true floating hoverboards, but we have tons of people calling them hoverboards and its a total trend. Coincidence? I think not.

[Scheer]

The larger lithium batteries get the more dangerous they are. Things like phones are pretty safe, I don't see anybody monitoring battery temps or charging their phones in "fire resistant bags", but the Hobby/Radio Control people certainly do.

 

The RC batteries are more likely to catch on fire due to how quickly they are being charged and discharged, and the fact that they are multi-celled. If the monitoring failed, it could read a batteries voltage at 7 volts, thinking it still needs to be charged, but really one cell could be way over at 4.2 volts and the other near dead at 2.8 volts, causing a cell to exploded.

 

Quick charge 2.0 still isn't nearly as fast as the RC guys charge batteries, but at some point we will be back to the flurry of phone batteries exploding at the rate quick charging is going... When it comes to phones its all about the quality of the charging circuit, all the iPhones that were exploding were due to third party chargers.

[NAP51DMustang]

Why don't they tell that to Boeing and Airbus? I mean, so far the majority of battery fires on planes have been caused by the batteries on their planes.

This is corporate hypocrisy at its finest, ladies and gentlemen!

no it isn't, the batteries on those planes have been through excessive amounts of testing and have extremely tight tolerances in respect to material quality and build quality. the shitty little hoverboard battery is made as cheaply as possible and has been documented to easily catch fire. and iirc they aren't even the same type of battery.

[Miguel Batista]

Air transport companies no longer transport large numbers of phone batterues due to a couple of accidents. Those things are crazy dangerous. A laptop batery has the same potential energy as a hand grenade for example.

[Shakaza]

Air transport companies no longer transport large numbers of phone batterues due to a couple of accidents. Those things are crazy dangerous. A laptop batery has the same potential energy as a hand grenade for example.

Source? 

[ICantThinkOfAnyGoodName]

I feel like the companies that make these "hoverboards" should be sued for false advertising because these are not fucking hoverboards.