Boeing says lithium batteries pose cargo risk, backs ban

Monday, 16 March 2015 00:09 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

NEW YORK (Reuters): Boeing Co said last week that high-density packages of lithium batteries like those used in cell phones and laptops pose fire risks and should not be carried on passenger planes until safer methods for carrying them are developed. The risk is “continually increasing (and) requires action to be taken,” the aircraft maker said in a statement in response to questions from Reuters.

Boeing is part of an industry group including other plane makers such as Bombardier Inc and Airbus Group NV , that found current fire fighting systems on airliners cannot “suppress or extinguish a fire involving significant quantities of lithium batteries,” posing an “unacceptable risk” for the industry. The main chemical used, Halon 1301, is unable to stop fires from rechargeable lithium ion or non-rechargeable lithium metal batteries, the two main types of cells in consumer devices, the industry group said in a report. Boeing said it agrees with the recommendations in the report by the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industry Associations and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations. The report is due to be considered in April by a working group of the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a standards setting body. ICAO said that to take effect, the recommendations would need to be approved by its dangerous goods panel in October, and then by a broader air safety council next year. If approved, they would be included in the 2017-2018 edition of ICAO’s technical instructions for dangerous goods transport. The ICCAIA-IFALPA report recommends: nbanning shipments of high-density packages of lithium ion batteries and cells on passenger aircraft until safer transport methods are implemented nestablishing appropriate packaging and shipping requirements to carry lithium ion batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft nestablishing appropriate packaging and shipping requirements to carry lithium metal and lithium ion batteries as cargo on freight aircraft. “The Boeing Company supports and advocates for global harmonised requirements related to the air transport of batteries. We support efforts to develop effective protective packaging materials to facilitate the safe shipment of lithium batteries as cargo.” The US in 2008 banned carrying lithium metal batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft, unless they are shipped with or in equipment, according to the US Department of Transportation. But lithium ion batteries are allowed as cargo on both passenger and freight aircraft as long as the packages do not exceed 11 pounds (five kilograms), the agency said.

Lessors see demand for Boeing 757 jet replacement

PHOENIX (Reuters): Aircraft leasing companies are encouraging Boeing to build a jet to replace its discontinued 757, but stress the priority of all planemakers must be to deliver on existing orders for bread-and-butter models after a series of delays. Steven Udvar-Hazy, chief executive officer of Air Lease Corp and widely seen as one of the industry’s most influential figures, told a conference there would be demand for a new jet that seats 200 to 250 people in the next eight to 12 years. That timeline leaves room for Boeing to focus on upgrading its smaller 737, which provides much of the Chicago-based company’s cash, while also giving engine makers time to develop improvements aimed at significant further fuel savings. But it could represent a shift of emphasis for Boeing, which has recently been telling investors that it favours incremental improvements to existing models rather than major new products. The last 757 was delivered a decade ago but it remains popular with U.S. airlines due to its range and performance, while its larger contemporary, the 767, is being replaced by the 787 Dreamliner. “In the Boeing family, there might be a gap between the largest 737 and the smallest 787 as the 767 fades away,” Udvar-Hazy said at a conference organised by the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT). Until recently, it faced little challenge but Airbus has begun encroaching on the small but potentially lucrative segment with the largest version of its A320 family. Boeing told this week’s ISTAT gathering that it was talking to customers about an aircraft slightly larger than a 757 with 20 percent more range, but did not say whether it favoured a narrowbody or, considered more likely, a small twin-aisle jet. It has also previously said it will not build a direct successor to the single-aisle 737 MAX until 2030, but has not ruled out a small twin-aisle plane that some in the industry say could also seed technology for the next generation of smaller planes. Jeff Knittel, President of CIT Transportation and International Finance, said Boeing’s best bet would be to offer a family of aircraft rather than just one model if it did anything to fill the gap between small and big jets. Lessors meanwhile saw overall stability in the aircraft market despite recent concerns about lower oil prices and a possible hike in US interest rates. But they urged manufacturers to watch execution and ensure smooth ramp-ups in production.