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, and Li-batt.

Lithium battery air cargo shipments are becoming ever more commonplace, Hactl noted, as more and more devices incorporate them. Recent e-commerce growth has also led to an increase in the airfreighting of articles containing lithium batteries.

With the well-documented risks arising from incorrect packaging and handling of battery shipments, Hactl said it had 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. It has also opened a dedicated DGR zone with experienced staff; and undertaken proactive facilitation of agents and shippers in the correct declaration, handling and storage of lithium battery shipments.

IATA’s global head of cargo Brendan Sullivan commented: “CEIV Li-batt brings vitally important regulation and consistency to the potentially hazardous business of transporting lithium batteries by air. We delighted that Hactl has adopted this latest accreditation scheme, following their successful certification under all other CEIV standards. In doing so, they are helping to promote its importance for the entire handling sector.”

Hactl’s 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.

“Although Hactl has been fully prepared and resourced for such traffic for some years, we recognise that every link in battery supply chains must perform its functions to a consistent and high standard. We therefore strongly support the concept of IATA’s CEIV Lithium Batteries standard – the first for handling this specific commodity – and were enthusiastic adopters.

“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.”

Above image: Hactl executive director and chief financial officer Amy Lam (right) receives the IATA CEIV Lithium Batteries certificate from Yvonne Ho, IATA general manager, Hong Kong and Macau