After conducting its own tests that showed even a small number of overheating rechargeable lithium batteries can emit gases that can cause explosions and fires on aircraft, the US Federal Aviation Administration is backing a proposed ban on shipping the batteries as cargo on commercial airlines. “We believe the risk is immediate and urgent,” Angela Stubblefield, a Federal Aviation Administration hazardous materials official, was quoted as saying by AP. The lithium batteries are used for cellphones and laptops, among other items, and are often shipped by the thousands. Boeing and Airbus already sent airlines a service bulletin earlier this year, calling the batteries an “unacceptable risk” and citing the FAA’s own tests. More than a dozen airlines stopped accepting battery shipments in the cargo hold of commercial jets. The International Civil Aviation Organization will discuss the safety of battery shipments at a meeting in Montreal later this month.
