United Nations agency bans lithium batteries as cargo on passenger planes

This is in view of an advisory from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) pointing out that it is easier to control fire incidents possibly caused by a lithium battery-powered equipment in the flight cabin rather than in the cargo hold. The ban is effective on April 1.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Thursday reminded air carriers that allow lithium battery-powered devices such as hoverboards or mini Segways on their aircraft to stow them in the cabin as passenger carry-on baggage.

SLTRIB reported that the ICAO council president, Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, has confirmed that the ban is set to remain in place at least until 2018, as they are expected to complete work on measures to safely pack and transport these batteries.

Namrata Kolachalam, a U.S. Transportation Department spokeswoman, called the ban “a necessary action to protect passengers, crews, and aircraft from the current risk to aviation safety”.

Pilots and aircraft manufacturers are concerned that existing standards are not strong enough to contain lithium battery fires.

Airlines and pilot associations had requested the ban citing security reasons, the ICAO said.

In addition there were the problems with the Boeing Dreamliner, an aircraft designed around the use of lithium batteries which suffered teething problems with battery fires, something solved later by simply securing the aircrafts batteries within a metal box.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has warned airlines that fires from lithium batteries have the potential to take down airliners because they are so hard for on-board fire extinguishers to put out.

Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., who authored the provision, has said that since batteries are an global industry there should be a single, worldwide standard, otherwise it would be too confusing for shippers to follow multiple rules. “It is time for Congress to pass meaningful legislation that will result in the safe air shipments of lithium batteries as unsafe goods”, ALPA said. KLM and Air France are owned by a Franco-Dutch holding company.