Cargo Products Manager Alex Leung said: ‘These new fire containment bags have been thoroughly tested and meet our stringent safety requirements, and they have also been approved by the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA).’In the event of a battery combusting, the bags limit the fire’s supply of oxygen, while letting smoke escape to trigger the aircraft’s smoke detectors.
With this approved safety product, Cathay Cargo has been able to lift its embargo on shipping lithium-ion batteries in its freighters. The embargo affected standalone shipments of batteries, but not those inside electronic consumer goods such as laptops, smartphones and tablets.
However, the embargo on battery shipments on Cathay Pacific’s passenger aircraft remains in force. Head of Cargo Market and Products John Cheng explained: ‘We follow the IATA rule that states that lithium batteries cannot be shipped in cargo on passenger aircraft.’
In addition, the new fire containment bags are not certified to carry non-rechargeable lithium metal batteries, which have a different internal chemistry and behave in a different way. Shippers will also need to complete forms outlining their particular type of batteries with Cathay Cargo’s local sales teams.