GCAA hosts first Lithium Battery Workshop in the Middle East Region

GCAA director general, Saif Mohamed Al Suwaidi, said: “It is imperative for the GCAA to facilitate international forums such as these workshop in order to ensure sharing of knowledge and collaboration in to ensure a more safe and secure transportation of dangerous goods by air.”

Lithium cells and batteries are indispensable for everyday life as power sources for now days’ evolving technology and several electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops, watches and games. An estimated 20 billion lithium cells and batteries manufactured annually are transported worldwide by all modes of transport, including those transported by air in passengers’ carry-on, checked baggage and as air cargo.

The aviation industry had experienced negative consequences from Lithium Batteries which are of irregular manufacture, misused, mishandled, improperly packaged, overcharged, or defective can overheat and ignite. Once ignited, fires can be especially difficult to extinguish on board the aircraft.

Testing conducted at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Technical Center has shown the uncontrollability of lithium battery fires can ultimately negate the capability of current aircraft cargo fire suppression systems, and can lead to a catastrophic failure of the airframe.

The GCAA deputy director general, Omar Bin Ghaleb, opened the event which took place in in the Viceroy Hotel in Abu Dhabi from 20 to 22 Sep 2016. It was attended by ICAO Member States of the Region and industry stakeholders. 

bin Ghaleb, said: “Both lithium metal and lithium ion batteries are transported by air, where the Lithium metal battery fires have been proven to propagate at a more rapid rate than a lithium ion battery fire; however, this is balanced by the fact that the quantity of lithium ion batteries carried by air is significantly greater.”

New findings, confirmed by FAA tests and expertise from industry, show that electrolyte gases exhausted during the propagation of both lithium metal and lithium ion battery thermal runaway events create an explosive atmosphere when contained inside an enclosed space (such as load devices (container, covered pallet, or cargo compartments)

The GCAA Assistant director general aviation security affairs, Hamad Salem Al Muhairi, said; “Managing this high consequence risk poses a pronounced regulatory challenge as Safety & Security are aviation’s paramount priorities. This can only be achieved by rigid regulatory enforcement by all States to address the dangers posed by the disregard of international regulations.”