FAA BACKS BAN ON SHIPPING LITHIUM BATTERIES ON PASSENGER PLANES

November 9, 2015

U.S. officials will support a proposed international ban on shipping rechargeable lithium batteries as cargo on passenger airlines.  The U.S. will back the proposed ban at an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) meeting on the safety of lithium battery shipments and is the first time that the U.S. has taken an official position on the issue.

Pursuant to a 2012 Congressional statute, the FAA cannot act on its own to bar lithium battery shipments unless ICAO issues more stringent regulations.  The passenger airline ban could mean that some places will not receive battery shipments because cargo airlines often pay passenger airlines to transport shipments to destinations they do not serve.  The ban would not apply to cargo airlines or to lithium-ion batteries that are packed inside equipment.  There is no firm timeline for when ICAO might adopt the proposed ban.

If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6622) or Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6665).

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