Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals gains IATA’s CEIV Lithium Batteries accreditation

Handler Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) has successfully obtained accreditation under IATA’s CEIV Lithium Batteries (Li-batt) standard.

Hactl now holds all four IATA CEIV accreditations (Pharma, Fresh, Live Animals, Li-batt).

With the well-documented risks arising from incorrect packaging and handling of battery shipments, Hactl said it has been steadily tightening its procedures and improving resources for handling such traffic over recent years.

Measures to date have included additional in-house staff training to IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) standards and IATA Lithium Battery Shipping Regulations.

Hactl has been an IATA Accredited Training School since 2003 and is authorised to train its own and third-party staff.

It has also opened a dedicated DGR zone with competent, experienced staff; and undertaken proactive facilitation of agents and shippers in the correct declaration, handling and storage of lithium battery shipments.

Brendan Sullivan, global head of cargo, IATA, said: “CEIV Li-batt brings vitally important regulation and consistency to the potentially hazardous business of transporting lithium batteries by air.

“We are delighted that Hactl has adopted this latest accreditation scheme, following their successful certification under all other CEIV standards. In doing so, it is helping to promote its importance for the entire handling sector.”

Hactl executive director and chief financial officer Amy Lam said: “Lithium batteries will become an increasing element of air cargo traffic globally, so ensuring the correct procedures and training for handling them has never been more important.”

She added: “CEIV Lithium Batteries represents a uniform and universally-accepted standard. We are therefore proud to have achieved it, and to now hold all four CEIV accreditations.”

Lithium battery air cargo shipments are becoming ever more commonplace, as more and more devices – ranging from mobile phones and laptops, through e-bikes and scooters to electric vehicles – now incorporate them. Recent e-commerce growth has also led to an increase in the airfreighting of articles containing lithium batteries.