Asia’s handlers suit up for Li-batt shipments

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Photo credit: Hactl

Asia’s cargo handlers are preparing themselves to ensure the safe transport of lithium-battery shipments with Singapore’s SATS Group and Hong Kong’s Hactl recently securing their certifications from IATA.

Named ‘Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators Lithium Batteries’ (CEIV Li-batt), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) certification programme establishes baseline standards to improve competency and quality management in the handling and carriage of
lithium batteries, alone or with finished products, along the supply chain.

Along with subsidiary Asia Airfreight Terminal in Hong Kong (AAT) and Indonesian joint venture PT Jasa Angkasa Semesta Tbk (PT JAS), SATS Ltd received its certificates at World Cargo Symposium 2022.

SATS believes the certification, which will remain in effect for two years, will set a new international benchmark for safe aviation travel and give added confidence in the handling of shipments labelled as dangerous goods. The ground handler has put in place a digital compliance solution to enable safer and automated dangerous goods verification checks

In Hong Kong, independent handler Hactl has been steadily tightening its procedures and improving resources for handling such traffic over recent years. It received its certification on 11 October.

Being an IATA accredited training school since 2003, Hactl is authorised to train its own and third-party staff based on IATA’s Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) and Lithium Battery Shipping Regulations. Aside from lithium batteries, Hactl is also certified to handle pharma, perishables and live animals for air transport.

Hactl executive director and CFO, Amy Lam, comments: “Lithium batteries will become an increasing element of air cargo traffic globally, so ensuring the correct procedures and training for handling them has never been more important.”

CEIV Lithium Batteries represents a uniform and universally-accepted standard. We are therefore proud to have achieved it, and to now hold all four CEIV accreditations,” Lam noted.

Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo, said the plan is “to see a network of CEIV Li-batt trade lanes with participants certified at origin, destination and in transit points.”