U.S. bans Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphones from air travel

Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone devices will be banned from air transportation in the United States starting Saturday at noon EDT (1600 GMT) under an emergency order, regulators said Friday.

The order from the U.S. Transportation Department and other agencies bars owners from carrying on the devices or in baggage during flights. Passengers attempting to transport them could be fined or have them confiscated.

Earlier this week, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd <005930.KS> suspended the manufacture and sale of the Samsung Galaxy Note7 device following numerous reports of the phones catching fire.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by James Dalgleish)