Hoverboards, also known as balance boards, are being banned from most U.S. flights because their large lithium-ion batteries are a fire risk on board.
Already banned by JetBlue, Hawaiian and Virgin America, the popular devices, a kind of self-balancing scooter, hit the no-fly list in the last two days for Alaska and the big three (American, United and Delta). Only Southwest, among large airlines, still allows them.
Delta put the issue this way: “Poorly-labeled, powerful lithium-ion batteries powering hoverboards are the issue. Delta reviewed hoverboard product specifications and found that manufacturers do not consistently provide detail about the size or power of their lithium-ion batteries.
Because of fire risk, lithium-ion batteries in bulk are already banned from air cargo and single batteries may not exceed 160 watt hours. The danger seems all the more real because of videos posted on-line showing hoverboards bursting into flames.
