New regulations on air transportation of lithium batteries will come into effect on 1-April, 2022

Special packaging of batteries is required to meet the IATA safety regulations of air transportation.

According to the official information of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), starting from April 1, 2022, another wave of new regulations on lithium battery air transport will be issued. Shippers of lithium batteries by air transport should be prepared.

This regulation change is mainly to revise the multi page packaging instructions pi965 and pi968 of the 63rd edition of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Lithium ion batteries and lithium metal batteries shall not be shipped in accordance with part II.

As a result, all self delivered lithium batteries need to complete the shipper's dangerous goods declaration, additional marking and labeling, and complete dangerous goods air transport training.

Shippers of lithium batteries are used to the fact that the transport regulations change almost every year. Compared with other modes of transport (railway, road, sea and inland waterway), the air transport regulations seem to change more frequently. The reasons for these changes include the development and growth of lithium battery transportation, which now provides power for various equipment from mobile phones to bicycles, scooters, UAVs, trucks and a wide range of scientific, medical and industrial equipment.

In addition, lithium battery accidents continue to pose a threat to safety. If the packaging of lithium batteries does not fully comply with the regulations, lithium batteries may rapidly heat up to 400 ° C, and then release toxic gases. Some airlines have invested in the establishment of sealing systems that can resist lithium battery fires, but these systems are expensive and increase the cost of the supply chain, which will inevitably be borne by the shipper.

From the beginning of April, lithium ion batteries and lithium metal batteries must be declared in accordance with Article IA or IB. It should be noted that this change does not apply to the transportation of lithium batteries included in the equipment or packaged with the air transport equipment.

In addition, there is no change in ADR (highway), rid (railway) or IMDG (Marine) regulations, of which 188 specifically stipulate that lithium ion batteries with a total lithium metal content of less than 100 wh (watt hour) and lithium metal batteries with a total lithium metal content of less than 2G are more convenient to use. Differences in regulations between different modes of transport reflect different risks, but also increase the complexity faced by shippers, as many shippers use multiple modes of transport.

 
The practical effect of these changes is that many packages containing only lithium batteries will have to become larger, even if it is just to leave enough space for the hazards that must appear on each package and for the handling labels and other information. According to Article IA, the shipper needs two labels, while according to Article IB, two labels and one mark are required, and these labels and marks must meet the minimum size standards specified by IATA.
The shipper also needs to prepare a shipper's declaration for each batch of lithium batteries transported by itself. These packages need to be fully accepted by the ground service agent and will be recorded in the "notice to the captain", which will list the dangerous goods loaded on the aircraft.

As airlines, loading and unloading agents, integrators and freight forwarders must do more to ensure the compliance of lithium battery transportation, shippers will face higher transportation costs. Due to the COVID-19, rising fuel prices, high demand for freight capacity and the situation in Russia and Ukraine, some air transport capacity has been cancelled, and the air freight of most companies has risen significantly. Sadly, more cost increases are on the way.

It will become more and more clear over time whether the latest revision of this regulation will further improve safety, or just cause obstacles and delays to legitimate shippers and distributors. For all participants in the supply chain, it will also be a welcome respite if the lithium battery regulations do not change in a few years.