good evening all!
As a Ground Handler for a major regional airport we have all been told that Lithium based batteries are to be banned from hold luggage as they are seen as a major fire risk and as a result they have to (and at great inconvenience to the passenger, often huffing and puffing and cursing under their breath!
) remove the battery or device and carry it with them either upon their person or in their hand baggage. If we do not ask the passengers to do this then we will get in trouble.
So Why then if under IATA Dangerous Goods rulings (and please correct me if I am wrong, but that is what we from my employer are led to believe) they are forbidden to be carried in the hold of an aircraft, do manufacturers decide to use this type of battery as part of an aircraft? Especially Boeing with their 787 dreamliner battery issues involving Lithium-ion batteries catching fire:
BBC News - Boeing 787: Dreamliner's lithium ion batteries probed
Seeing as Manufacturers are using this battery, can we as Ground Handlers now allow lithium batteries in hold luggage, seeing as boeing is using them for their ground battery power source?
Regards
Speedbird