The chairman of IATA’s Cargo Committee, James Woodrow has called for strong action to secure the safe transport of lithium batteries by air, including the criminalization of blatant dangerous goods abuses.
“Government authorities must step up and take responsibility for regulating producers and exporters and ensure compliance by those who are responsible for initiating the transportation,” Woodrow, who is also director of Cargo at Cathay Pacific Airways, said.
“Flagrant abuses of dangerous goods shipping regulations which place aircraft safety at risk must be criminalised as are other actions which place aircraft safety at risk.
“We must also increase the level of shipment assessments and trusted shipper programmes in order that those who comply with the regulations are not unduly impacted and we call upon reputable manufacturers in the high technology sector to join us in this demand,” Woodrow said at the close of IATA’s 9th World Cargo Symposium in Shanghai.
Aircraft makers and pilot unions have recently called for a ban on the transport of lithium battery shipments aboard passenger aircraft following fears of fires that could prove difficult for aircraft fire protection systems to contain.
Boeing said recently that high-density packages of lithium batteries like those used in cell phones and laptops pose fire risks and should not be carried on passenger aircraft until safer methods for carrying them are developed.
The risk is “continually increasing and requires action to be taken,” the aircraft maker said. Boeing is part of an industry group including other airframe makers such as Airbus and Bombardier, that found current firefighting systems on aircraft cannot “suppress or extinguish a fire involving significant quantities of lithium batteries,” posing an “unacceptable risk” for the industry.
The global battery industry is increasingly dominated by lithium batteries as they are cheaper, lighter and more powerful than other types of batteries. The aircraft makers reportedly stated that the ban should be applied to both lithium-ion and lithium metal batteries on cargo shipments, but not on batteries that passengers carry on board inside their personal electronic devices.
“The Boeing Company supports and advocates for global harmonised requirements related to the air transport of batteries. We support efforts to develop effective protective packaging materials to facilitate the safe shipment of lithium batteries as cargo.”
The main fire-fighting chemical used aboard aircraft currently, Halon 1301, is unable to stop fires from rechargeable lithium ion or non-rechargeable lithium metal batteries, the two main types of cells in consumer devices, the industry group said in a report.
Boeing said it agrees with the recommendations in the report by the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industry Associations (ACCAIA) and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA).
The report is due to be considered in April by a working group of the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). If new safety regulations are ultimately approved, they would be included in the 2017-2018 edition of ICAO’s technical instructions for dangerous goods transport.
The ICCAIA-IFALPA report recommends: Banning shipments of high-density packages of lithium ion batteries and cells on passenger aircraft until safer transport methods are implemented; establishing appropriate packaging and shipping requirements to carry lithium ion batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft; and establishing appropriate packaging and shipping requirements to carry lithium metal and lithium ion batteries as cargo on freighter aircraft.
Two US airlines – Delta and United – recently announced in recent weeks that they will no longer accept shipments of lithium-ion batteries, a move that has brought further pressure on international carriers worldwide to refuse such shipments.
Meanwhile a report released by the US Transportation Department Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lacks the training and guidance necessary to enforce regulations that allow carriers to disclose hazardous material violations voluntarily, without incurring civil penalties for violations.
In 65 per cent of hazardous material cases, OIG investigators found that the FAA did not obtain sufficient evidence to ensure that carriers fixed reported problems. The agency also has not sought to identify safety risks or trends involving hazardous materials and lacks the clarity to determine how carriers should meet the requirements.
