MONTRÉAL, 4 NOVEMBER 2015 – State and industry experts on the ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel (DGP) agreed to important new recommendations last week on the restriction of lithium battery shipments carried on passenger and freighter aircraft, the Council President of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) confirmed today.
“The proposal to require lithium batteries to have a state of charge of 30% or less, when carried in shipments on commercial aircraft, was felt to be prudent enough to improve aviation safety while a packaging performance standard is being developed,” highlighted Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu. “This recommendation will still permit the rapid and reliable global transit of what has become a vital energy source for people and businesses everywhere in the world.”
President Aliu clarified that the DGP’s recommendations must still be reviewed under ICAO’s Air Navigation Commission (ANC), before ultimately being brought before the UN aviation agency’s 36-State Council for final assessment and decision.
“ICAO greatly values the time and effort of all its panel experts in bringing forward these types of recommendations,” he noted. “The Air Navigation Commission has been requested to prioritize its review of the DGP’s proposed measures and the Council hopes to see a final proposal by early next year. This collaborative process does take some time, but in the end it delivers consensus-based and effective long-term safety progress for international civil aviation.”
