Cebu Pacific, PAL ban hoverboards

HOVERBOARDS may be among the must-have gadgets this holiday season but they have just been banned by two of the country’s airline companies due to safety concerns.

Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines (PAL) announced on Monday that they were banning the self-balancing personal transport vehicle on board their aircraft, saying their powerful lithium-ion batteries may spontaneously catch fire.

The prohibition which applies to both check-in and carry-on luggage takes effect immediately.

The two local carriers made the announcement following the decision of foreign airline firms such as Singapore Airlines, Delta, United, American and British Airways to ban hoverboards on all their flights.

“Hoverboards run on high-powered lithium-ion batteries, which have been widely reported to have a tendency to overheat or spontaneously ignite,” Cebu Pacific said in a statement Monday.

“These devices pose a fire hazard risk and are deemed unsafe for transport especially in an aircraft’s pressurized cabin and cargo stowage spaces,” it added.

“Philippine Airlines joins other air carriers in banning the carriage of lithium ion-powered small motor devices as carry on, check in and cargo shipment,” PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said in an e-mailed statement.

AIRLINE officials just grounded hoverboards. RICHARD REYES

“These small motor devices include hoverboards, balance wheel [and] air wheel, etc. The ban stems from the risk of the device overheating, exploding and catching fire,” she added.

Delta earlier said in a statement that the issue revolved around the inconsistent labelling of the device’s lithium-ion batteries.

“Delta reviewed hoverboard product specifications and found that manufacturers do not consistently provide details about the size or power of their lithium-ion batteries,” it observed.

“While occurrences are uncommon, these batteries can spontaneously overheat and pose a fire hazard risk,” Delta added.

Hoverboards, which do not hover, typically refer to two-wheeled devices, separated by a platform and controlled by the rider’s feet. Their popularity has skyrocketed in recent months and the devices are distributed and marketed under a variety of brands.