December 11, 2015 - On Friday, four major airlines banned the popular "hoverboards" from being carried or stored on their aircraft. These self-balancing devices are the year’s hottest electronics as people everywhere are snapping them up and buying them as presents for their loved ones.

In fact, you probably know at least one person with a hoverboard on their Christmas list, the four carriers are American, United, Delta, British Airways and Alaska Airlines. As cool as they are, there’s one big problem, they are not safe to transport on an airplane.

Hoverboards are usually powered by lithium ion batteries, which are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as hazardous materials. Internal short-circuits can occur with lithium ion batteries, which can then lead to a “thermal runaway” where the battery overheats and bursts into flame.

In a statement, Delta said that it had "reviewed hoverboard product specifications and found that manufacturers do not consistently provide detail about the size or power of their lithium-ion batteries. This investigation revealed devices often contain battery varieties above the government mandated 160 watt hour limit permitted aboard aircraft."