From the 1st of April 2015 Lithium ion batteries will no longer be able to be sent as cargo on board Qantas and Jetstar aircraft after the airline group conducted a new safety assessment.
Following similar moves from US-based United and Delta Air Lines, Qantas and Jetstar are the latest to issue a blanket ban on the shipment of lithium ion batteries on both passenger and cargo aircraft, and now Virgin Australia has introduced the same ban.
Passengers using lithium ion batteries to power devices such as tablets and laptops can continue to bring them on board as carryon luggage. Virgin Australia said in a statement shipments of lithium metal batteries packed separately to equipment have not been carried on its aircraft since March 2014 and the prohibition would extend to lithium ion batteries from 1st April 2015.
It is now believed the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared a little over a year ago (and is still missing) was carrying about 200kg of lithium batteries.
No comments:
Post a Comment