Sorry hoverboard users: Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines said that, effective Friday, it will ban the lithium battery-powered "self-balancing personal transportation devices" in carry-on and checked baggage, out of safety concerns.
"Poorly labeled, powerful lithium-ion batteries powering hoverboards are the issue," the company said in a news release Thursday announcing the policy change. "Delta 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 said in the release.
Though "uncommon," the batteries can spontaneously overheat, Delta said in its release. Reports of hoverboard fires have surfaced in Florida and Louisiana, where a woman blamed one of the boards for sparking a fire that destroyed her home in November.
And as hoverboards (which look and function something like the cross between a skateboard and a Segway) become increasingly popular, some merchants — including Atlanta rapper Soulja Boy — are being targeted by scammers.
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