Operator Approval & General Cargo Handling

Operator approval and general cargo handling are important processes relating to the safe transport of lithium batteries by aircraft.

Operator Approval

When incidents due to lithium batteries have occurred on-board an aircraft the cause is usually due to noncompliance, but not always because an item has been undeclared. For example, the batteries may have been accompanied by a shipper's declaration, but may not have been adequately protected against short-circuit. Operators may wish to consider, as a risk mitigation control, accepting lithium batteries only from shippers and freight forwarders that they have approved. Pre-approved shippers and freight forwarders could seek to satisfy requirements, such as:

• UN testing
• Protection against short circuit
• Correct use of packaging
• Satisfying training requirements

General Cargo Handling

Sometimes lithium batteries are undeclared. Therefore, efforts must be made to detect such batteries. These could include implementing processes, as follows:

• Enhanced cargo acceptance processes and training to better detect non-compliant shipments. This could include greater scrutiny of the descriptions of goods on accompanying paperwork. For example, items described on an air waybill as "electrical equipment" or "film crew and media equipment" may contain lithium batteries.
• Additional training for cargo terminal personnel to increase awareness of the need to better detect damaged packages.
• In cases where lithium batteries and cells are not accepted on a flight, it is advisable to carry out risk-based screening, and it may be necessary to conduct 100 percent screening of cargo.