The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week issued a safety alert for operators (SAFO) about the risk of fire or explosion when transporting lithium batteries as cargo on passenger and cargo aircraft. In issuing the SAFO, FAA urged the carriers to manage the risks associated with carrying the batteries as cargo and also issued guidance to FAA inspectors to help them determine whether the airlines have “adequately assessed the risk” of handling and carrying the batteries as cargo.
It is worth considering the seriousness of the FAA’s call for risk assessments. I think it requires more than just air carriers. Knowing every specific detail about the hazards and the risk path is difficult for anyone stakeholder in the aviation industry. In this case, it involves multiple organizations and stakeholders outside the industry, including b…
