The standpoint is based on FAA research that has shown fires caused by the batteries may not be effectively put out by systems currently in use by commercial air carriers. FAA Tammy L. Jones confirmed to Law360 that the U.S. will take the position at a meeting this month held by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. body that informs global aviation safety standards.
On Thursday, the FAA's Office of Hazardous Materials Safety and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation, held a public meeting to solicit comments on the position.
A recommendation by the ICAO panel to prohibit the shipments would need to be approved by the organization's council before member states are required to enact laws enforcing the standard.
At the meeting, the agency officials stressed the prohibition would be a temporary measure while industry and regulators work toward a standard for transporting the batteries safely, according to documents.
Since 1991, 158 incidents of smoke or fire involving batteries as cargo or in passengers' luggage have been reported to the FAA. Most of the incidents, especially in the last five years, involved lithium ion batteries, according to FAA records.
In 2010, the FAA warned air cargo carriers to store lithium metal batteries in cargo holds with backup fire suppression equipment, saying the batteries present a significant fire and explosion risk.
The safety alert for operators came in the wake of a September 2010 crash of a United Parcel Service of America Inc. cargo jet in the United Arab Emirates.
Emirati authorities later found the cause of Flight 6's crash to be a large fire in the plane's cargo hold, where there were a significant number of lithium batteries and other flammable materials.
Lithium batteries are commonly used in products that require long battery life, such as pacemakers, as well as electronic toys, cameras, smartphones and other gadgets. They are typically smaller than alkaline batteries.
The batteries have been found to be highly flammable and can self-ignite at high temperatures. Tests conducted at the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center show that a fire inside a cargo bay can lead to “thermal runaway” within the batteries, a chain reaction that can lead to ignition of a large group of batteries, the FAA has said.
The Rechargeable Battery Association has maintained in statements on the issue that the fire risk can be mitigated by enforcement of regulations and advancements in fire suppression technology. REA representatives did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Thursday.
--Additional reporting by Evan Weinberger. Editing by Kelly Duncan.
