Hoverboards may be gaining popularity as a Christmas gift this year, but they’re falling out of favor with the major US airlines.
If you’re getting one of those electric self-balancing scooters, known as hoverboards, for the holidays this year, don’t count on flying with it. The biggest air carriers in the United States have now banned passengers from bringing them on flights because of the risk of overheating and fires.
Delta, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, and JetBlue are among the major airlines that have decided to ban the devices over safety concerns regarding their electrical systems. Only Southwest will still let you bring one onboard its planes.
Delta, United, and American Airlines all issued official statements and added the hoverboards to their banned items lists on their websites last Thursday. Jet Blue, British Airways, Virgin America, Alaska Airlines also have banned the devices in carry-on and checked baggage, citing the product’s fire hazard risk.
The airlines’ hoverboard bans comes as a result of several reports of the devices’ batteries catching fire and exploding. According to “at least 10 reports” of hoverboard fires that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has received, the lithium-ion batteries that power hoverboards may overheat or catch fire. An agency spokesperson said that number is “increasing daily.” An investigation into hoverboards has been launched by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
