A United Nations panel already approved the idea that the shipments of rechargeable lithium batteries be banned from passenger airliners since the batteries may create fires capable of destroying planes. The Feb. 22, 2016, decision by International Civil Aviation Organization’s top-level governing council isn’t binding, but most countries follow the agency’s standards.
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The Federal Aviation Administration has endorsed a global plan to ban shipment of lithium-ion batteries aboard airplanes, a practice blamed for bringing down two jetliners when the batteries burst into flames. A majority of batteries are transported on cargo ships, but about 30 per cent are shipped by air.
The testing showed that when the batteries are overheated they emit explosive gases, and when those gases ignite, the aircraft’s Halon fire suppression systems weren’t able to contain the blaze. He also said that new packaging standard is expected to come in by 2018.
However, an unnamed “dangerous goods expert” told Reuters the lithium ion ban would be unlikely to improve passenger safety, due to “deliberate mislabeling by shippers”.
Lawmakers said they were deferring to global groups that monitor flights like ICAO, who have signaled that they were moving close to enacting a worldwide ban on shipping lithium batteries by air.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is banning cargo shipments of lithium ion batteries by air, over the objection of battery makers and other technology groups in Washington.
All states that are members of the ICAO will have to abide by the ban, although it will still be possible to transport lithium-ion batteries on cargo planes.
In addition to the FAA, the U.S. Transportation Department and the National Transportation Safety Board have backed the ban.
Industry lobbyists had argued against a complete ban, saying the issue could be solved with new packaging standards.
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Aircraft manufacturers including Boeing and Airbus released a statement past year that called battery shipments “an unacceptable risk”, according to the AP.
