Egypt's flagship carrier EgyptAir is to ban the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone device on board all flights starting Sunday, following international warnings on the dangers of the devices for passengers and aircrafts, sources in the company told Reuters.
According to a security source in EgyptAir, the company received a note from the US Transport Department following international warnings that bar passengers travelling with the device.
He added that security members were mandated to alert passengers before boarding planes not to travel with the devices, pointing at incidents where phones caught fire.
The decision, adopted by several other international airlines, comes following a Friday order by the US Transport Department and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that bans the smartphone on flights.
In a statement, the department warned that passengers who packed the devices in checked luggage raised the risk of "a catastrophic incident."
Anyone violating the new ban would be subject to criminal prosecution.
On Tuesday, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd pulled the plug on its new Samsung Galaxy Note 7, noting incidents where "affected devices can overheat and pose a safety risk."
Since then, the South Korean company announced an expanded voluntary recall on original and replacement Galaxy Note 7 devices.
