Earlier this month Air France KLM Martinair Cargo successfully attained the IATA Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators Lithium Batteries certification for Air France Cargo and its hubs at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Chicago O’Hare.

The certification programme is specifically designed to enable shippers, freight forwarders, cargo handling facilities and airlines to fulfil their safety obligations by complying with regulations for transporting lithium batteries.

It is based on the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) and IATA Lithium Battery Shipping Regulations (LBSR). The programme aims to set standards by raising competency levels and quality management in the handling and transport of lithium batteries throughout the supply chain.

The recent move of airlines to get certified comes as these high-demand batteries, which are considered dangerous goods, have become critical components for electronic consumer goods like mobile phones, e-bikes and similar devices.

IATA certifies organisations that complete the required training, assessment and validation procedures, listing them in the IATA ONE Source registry in compliance with programme standards.