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Air NZ is investigating further steps to contain burning objects on planes as concern about the danger of lithium battery-powered devices catching fire grows. At least 3 US airlines are adding new fire-suppression equipment to fleets in case a cell phone or laptop battery overheats, catches on fire and can't be extinguished. An Air NZ spokeswoman said the airline carries flame resistant gloves on board its aircraft to protect a person who may be handling an object that has overheated or caught fire. "In addition to this we are currently looking into other possible containment equipment options." The issue has taken on new urgency following incidents of overheating Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones, including one on a Southwest Airlines flight earlier this month. <br/>

Passengers on United Airlines reported long delays after the latest in a long line of technology problems at the carrier. United said Friday that it had fixed the overnight issue, yet hours later the airline still could not explain what went wrong or even how many flights were canceled or delayed. Tracking service FlightStats said in late afternoon that United had cancelled 10 flights — not an unusual number — and delayed more than 380. However, those numbers don't include United Express flights, which are outsourced to smaller carriers. Timing helped United. The outage spanned a late-night period when few US flights were operating, and United reported it was fixed before the wave of morning departures. A United spokeswoman said the problem was fixed by 4 am Eastern time, although there could be lingering brief delays Friday. <br/>