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Old 5th Aug 2011, 18:13
  #58 (permalink)  
DG Dude
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Manchester
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The biggest problem is that battery design is changing faster than regulation can keep up with it. Many new batteries are being sent I suspect without being submitted for testing....and that's apart from those that aren't even being declared.

Some airlines may be tempted to ban all lithium batteries, but unless the handling agents can detect every battery a ban will not work. Shippers will deliberately or ignorantly not declare them. The dangerous goods regualtions are so complicated with lithium batteries I would suggest many shippers are tempted to misdeclare them. Compliance is too awkward.

In my view the authorities must quickly move to penalise ANY shipper found to have misdeclared such batteries, whether deliberately or innocently, to get the message out there: these sort of batteries can be very dangerous to aircraft. And by misdeclaration I also mean if someone declares them but also does not correctly classify them by their specific physical properties, pack them in accordance with the correct packing instructions and comply completely with every detailled aspect of the applicable regulations. You can't forbid them from aircraft. New technology batteries are such an integral part of everyday life, a ban will not work.
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