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

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is cautioning air passengers that they should not turn on or charge their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones while on board and they should not stow them in checked baggage, following reports that a few dozen of the phones' batteries have exploded or caught fire.

The extraordinarycautionwas publishedThursday on the FAA's website.

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"In light of recent incidents and concerns raised by Samsung about its Galaxy Note 7 devices, the Federal Aviation Administration strongly advises passengers not to turn on or charge these devices on board aircraft and not to stow them in any checked baggage," the statement said.

Samsung's parent company announced last week it would exchange phones in 10countries, including Canada, afterdisclosing35 cases of Note 7s that had burst into flames or exploded because ofdefective batteries from one supplier.

Samsung Electronics Canada says there havebeen no confirmed incidents in this country, but it's offering a voluntary exchange program for its Canadian customers.

Owners of the phone in Canada can exchange a recalled device for a new one of the same model.

The company says customers can also exchange a recalled device for a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge through the carrier or the retailer that sold the device.

Samsung says Note 7 owners can initiate the exchange by visitingCanadaNote7exchange.expertinquiry.com.

Atoll-free phone number is also available: 1-800-517-3507.