Iata finalises regulations on lithium ion cells and batteries

Lithium batteries may be the world’s newest and best invention, but for the airline industry they are a headache of note. According to David Brennan, assistant director of cargo safety and standards at Iata, regulation is continuing to evolve and change. This includes better classifications and regulations on transporting the batteries. In the latest version of the Iata Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) that came into effect on  January 1 this year, several regulatory changes around lithium batteries were made, said Brennan. These included new paragraphs about the classification of lithium batteries.

“We have finalised the regulation concerning lithium ion batteries and lithium metal batteries, and provision has been made for ‘hybrid’ batteries, which are those that contain both ion and metal,” said Brennan. Packing instruction revisions have been made, and from January 2020, all manufacturers and distributors of these batteries will have to make available a test summary of the product to ensure greater transparency in the supply chain. Brennan said several incidents involving lithium batteries on airplanes required the ongoing updating of the regulation. Considering that any energy storage device carried a risk, the safety

of lithium-based batteries remained a major issue, said Brennan. In an effort to address these concerns, the US Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a complete ban on storing lithium ion cells or batteries as cargo on passenger flights. They made this announcement at the end of February. Companies were also no longer allowed to ship batteries with more than 30% charge aboard cargo-only aircraft, said Brennan. “Ongoing research indicates that these batteries do pose fire risks.” In 2010 and 2011, cargo planes went down, killing the pilots on board in

incidents in Dubai and Korea. The cause was attributed to incidents involving batteries. Research by the FAA found that lithium ion cells were capable of self-ignition and when packed with other highly

flammable goods, became a major risk. The FAA continues to lobby for the complete banning of batteries on flights, whether in the cargo hold or as carry-on luggage by passengers.