The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is moving to prohibit the transportation of lithium ion cells and batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft and to add new requirements for those being transported in cargo airplanes.
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said Wednesday that an interim final rule developed by the Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), working with the Federal Aviation Administration, “will strengthen safety for the traveling public by addressing the unique challenges lithium batteries pose in transportation.”
Limited exceptions will allow for transportation in passenger aircraft of no more than two replacement lithium cells or batteries for use in medical devices. The interim final rule also will require that lithium ion ce…
