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Updated at 10 a.m. ET on Monday, Dec. 14, 2015
A youth rides a hoverboard, which are also known as self-balancing scooters and balance boards, on Oct. 13, 2015 in Knutsford, England.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Getty Images)
Hoverboards may be gaining popularity as Christmas presents this year, but they’re falling out of favor with an increasing number of<span style="color: Red;">*</span>big airlines.
Southwest became the last of the USA's big airlines to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>say it would no longer allow the devices on their planes, making the announcement during Friday. That followed similar moves<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Thursday from American, Delta and United -- the nation's three biggest carriers. With the changes, all big U.S. carriers now bar hoverboards.
"As cool as they are, there’s one big problem: they are not safe to transport on an airplane," Alaska Airlines,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>explained Thursday via its corporate blog.
“Poorly labeled, powerful lithium-ion batteries powering hoverboards are the issue,” Delta added<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in its own<span style="color: Red;">*</span>statement. “Delta reviewed hoverboard product specifications and found that manufacturers do not consistently provide detail about the size or power of their lithium-ion batteries”
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Delta said it found that the strength of the batteries in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>hoverboards “often” exceeded government limits for what’s allowed onboard an aircraft. “While occurrences are uncommon, these batteries can spontaneously overheat and pose a fire hazard risk,” Delta added in its statement.
American and United each indicated to Today in the Sky late Thursday afternoon that they would do the same.
"Given the ongoing investigation by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, American has decided to prohibit hoverboards from its planes, both as checked and carry-on luggage," American spokesman Matt Miller said. "This policy will go into effect on Saturday."
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"In the interest of safety for our customers and employees, we do not accept hoverboards as checked or carry-on baggage," added United spokesman Charles Hobart.
The moves came after social media has exploded with a series of<span style="color: Red;">*</span>videos showing hoverboards bursting into flames.
Against that backdrop, American,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Delta, Southwest and United now join a growing number of carriers that have decided not to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>allow the devices.
JetBlue was among a handful of U.S. airlines that had already prohibited hoverboards.
“Due to federal regulations covering lithium ion batteries, JetBlue does not accept Balance Gliders — also known as Hoverboards, Self-Balancing Scooters or Gravity Boards — as carry-on items or in checked baggage,” JetBlue spokesman Doug McGraw said in a statement to Today in the Sky.
Beyond the U.S., British Airways is among the global airlines to ban hoverboards, a move that The Wall Street Journal says comes as aviation safety organizations have begun discussing how to handle the devices.
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