Canadian air passengers urged not to use fire-prone Samsung Galaxy Note 7s on planes

Canadian air passengers should not use or charge Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphoneswhile on board because of the potential for battery fires, Transport Canada says.

The advisory issued Friday follows a similar one issued Thursday by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

• U.S. regulator advises passengers not to turn on Galaxy Note 7 phones in flight

Transport Canada said Note 7s should be carried in the cabin and not placed in checked baggage. It said it "strongly recommends against using or charging these devices in the cabin."

The warning follows an announcement from Samsung last week thatit would exchange the phones in 10countries, including Canada, afterdisclosing35 cases of Note 7s that had burst into flames or exploded because ofdefective batteries from a supplier.

Airlines to raise customer awareness

Porter Airlines saidon its website that passengers should not turn on or charge Note 7s or place them in checked luggage. It's telling passengers who have put them in checked baggage to "notify a Porter team member for assistance."

A spokesperson forWestJetsaid in an email thatthe airline "is closely monitoring the situation but as of right now, there are no changes to our policy of allowing Samsung Galaxy 7 on WestJet aircraft."

Air Canada said it is advising its passengers to follow Transport Canada's recommendations to not turn on or charge their Note 7s while on board and not to stowthem in their checked luggage. "Additionally, our flight crews will be making announcements reminding passengers to not use or charge these devices on board," the airline said in an email.

The three biggest U.S. airlines American, Delta and United said Friday they were studying the FAA warning, but it was not clear how or if they would make sure that passengers keep theirNote 7spowered off.

A spokesman for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration couldn't say if their baggagescreeners would be asked to check for the devices either in carry-on or checked bags.

Singapore Airlines said it will not allowthe use or charging of Note 7sduring flights.

On Friday, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission saidowners of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones should turn them off andstop using them.