Panel rejects ban on air shipments of fire-prone batteries
WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.N. aviation panel has rejected a ban on rechargeable battery shipments on passenger airliners despite evidence they can cause explosions and unstoppable, in-flight fires, aviation officials told The Associated Press.
The International Civil Aviation Organization panel on dangerous goods voted 11-7 Wednesday against a ban, said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak about the vote publicly. The panel’s decision is a recommendation to ICAO’s air navigation bureau. It would be unusual for the bureau not to follow the recommendation.
The United States, Russia, Brazil, China and Spain, as well as organizations representing airline pilots and aircraft manufacturers, voted in favor of the ban during the meeting at ICAO’s headquarters in Montreal. The Netherlands, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Italy, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Japan and the United Kingdom, as well as the International Air Transport Association, a global airline trade group, voted against it.
Billions of the lithium-ion batteries are used to power consumer electronics, ranging from cellphones and laptops to power tools and toothbrushes. Tens of thousands of the batteries are often shipped on a single plane.
Source: Yahoo News
