The dangers of carrying lithium batteries by air was once again in the spotlight after aviation regulators in the United States imposed a record fine of US$1.1 million last month.
The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed the hefty fine following an incident in June last year where a shipment of lithium batteries caught fire while being transported on a FedEx truck – shortly after it had been transported on an aircraft – resulting in the total destruction of the vehicle.
The FAA alleged that the lithium batteries in these shipments did not meet testing standards contained in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria or the US Hazardous Material Regulations, were not equipped with a means of preventing dangerous reverse current flow, and were not in a proper condition for shipment.
“Improperly shipped hazardous material can pose serious threats to aircraft and to the people on board,” said FAA administrator, Michael Huerta. “Adhering to the Hazardous Materials Regulations is critical to ensuring safety.”
The 59th edition of the International Air 
Transport Association (Iata) Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) came into effect on January 1 this year with measures that aim to further reduce the risk of carrying lithium batteries.
These measures include restricting passengers and crew from travelling with more than 15 portable electronic devices (PEDs), and restricting them to a maximum of 20 spare batteries.
A further significant change to the regulations concerns the packaging of lithium batteries as cargo, with Iata assistant director for cargo and safety standards, Dave Brennan, highlighting that the revisions prevent lithium batteries being packed with other dangerous goods, such as flammable liquids, solids, and gases.
