MONTRÉAL, 13 February 2013 – Pending the outcomes of investigations now being carried out in the United States and Japan, the President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has provisionally approved an interim amendment that will prohibit the carriage of lithium ion aircraft batteries as cargo on passenger planes. Final approval of the amendment from the ICAO Council is expected when it returns to Session later this month.
The new amendment will rescind ICAO’s recent inclusion of lithium ion aircraft batteries up to 35kg in Special Provision A51 to the UN aviation body’s Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air. Special Provision A51 is designed to provide airlines with the operational flexibility to transport aircraft batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft in special circumstances. The inclusion of lithium ion aircraft batteries in A51 had only become effective on 1 January 2013.
