Several days after Samsung threw up its hands and took the highly unusual step of scrapping its flagship Galaxy Note 7, the Department of Transportation has issued an all-out ban on bringing the fire-prone phones aboard all flights to, from, and within the U.S.

According to a Tweet by DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx, “We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident in flight puts many lives at risk.”

The ban, which takes effect at noon ET on October 15, prohibits the phones’ being taken onboard by passengers or crew, or checked in stowed bags. Nor can they be shipped via air-cargo carriers.

Underlying the seriousness of the ban, the Department warns that “Anyone violating the ban may be subject to criminal prosecution in addition to fines.”

After a series of incidents in which the phones spontaneously combusted in flight, Samsung on September 2 recalled 2.5 million of Note 7s with SDI batteries, the suspected culprit. Then, when the replacement phones proved equally apt to catch fire, the company issued a second recall. And finally, when Samsung engineers were unable to locate the cause of the problem, manufacturing was halted completely. “For the benefit of consumers’ safety, we stopped sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7 and have consequently decided to stop production.”

Samsung estimates the incident will cost the company $5.3 billion in lost profits.

Consumers who have Note 7s in their possession can return them for a refund or exchange. Full details are here.

After 20 years working in the travel industry, and almost that long writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.