IATA, TIACA, GSF & FIATA tighten measures for lithium transport by air

Dec 12, 2019: The International Air Transport Association (IATA), in partnership with the Global Shippers Forum (GSF), the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) and the International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) are set to tackle the safety menace of lithium batteries.

To ensure safe air transport of lithium shipmets, the organisations are renewing calls for governments to crack down on manufacturers of counterfeit batteries and of mis-labeled and non-compliant shipments introduced into the supply chain, by issuing and enforcing criminal sanctions on those responsible.

The organisations have also urged governments to play their role with much stricter enforcement of international regulations to ensure the safe transport of these vital shipments. Significant fines and penalties for those who circumvent regulations for the transport of lithium batteries have bee suggested.

Shipments of rogue LI batteries put aircraft & pax at risk & must be criminalized! ???????????@tiacaorg @fiatainternati1 @Shippers_Forum & #IATA demand govts step-up, ensure international regulations are enforced & are backed up with penalties: https://t.co/y1Pq0lH3at #IATAMediaDay pic.twitter.com/eTRXIyiBlO

— IATA (@IATA) December 11, 2019

“Safety is aviation’s top priority. Airlines, shippers and manufacturers have worked hard to establish rules that ensure lithium batteries can be carried safely. But the rules are only effective if they are enforced and backed-up by significant penalties. Government authorities must step up and take responsibility for stopping rogue producers and exporters. Abuses of dangerous goods shipping regulations, which place aircraft and passenger safety at risk, must be criminalized,” said Glyn Hughes, global head of cargo, IATA.

Consumer demand for lithium batteries is growing by 17 percent annually. With it, the number of incidents involving misdeclared or undeclared lithium batteries has also risen.

“Dangerous goods, including lithium batteries, are safe to transport if managed according to international regulations and standards. But we are seeing an increase in the number of incidents in which rogue shippers are not complying. The industry is uniting to raise awareness of the need to comply. This includes the launching of an incident reporting tool so that information on rogue shippers is shared. And we are asking governments to get much tougher with fines and penalties,” said Nick Careen, senior vice president, airport, passenger, cargo and security, IATA.

Among the steps undertaken for the campaign are: New incident reporting and alert system for airlines, industry awareness campaign on the dangers of shipping undeclared and misdeclared lithium batteries, and facilitation of a joined-up industry approach.

“We have seen high interest from the regulators on the issue of lithium batteries not that long ago, and it did help to improve the situation. We are asking governments to put this problem again on the top of their agendas,” said Vladimir Zubkov, secretary general, TIACA.

“Responsible shippers rely on government enforcement of standards to protect their investment in training and safe operating procedures. Air freight remains a vital link in international supply chains and it is essential that the rules for ensuring the safe movement of all cargoes are understood and acted on by all parties involved,” said James Hookham, secretary general, GSF.

“The increasing use of lithium batteries coupled with the growth of e-commerce supply and demand is exposing the air cargo supply chain to greater risk of un-declared or mis-declared goods. We support regulators imposing strict adherence to established compliance standards,” said Keshav Tanner, chairman of FIATA’s Airfreight Institute.

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