Challenge Group has announced that it is now IATA CEIV Lithium Battery certified.

"At Challenge Group, we are very concerned with detecting mis-declared or undeclared Lithium Battery shipments and therefore make certain that our people are trained in what to look out for," said Yossi Shoukroun, chief executive officer of Challenge Group.

"We are proud that our efforts have been officially recognised and that we may now carry the IATA CEIV Lithium Battery seal of approval as a visible demonstration to customers that their DGR shipments are in the best of hands, including the ones under UN3090 and UN3480," he added.

Citing data from IATA, Challenge Group noted that around 1.3 million shipments of lithium batteries are transported by air annually.

They also estimate that about 5% of air cargo shipments include lithium batteries, in addition to other electronics and mail parcels. And those are just the shipments officially declared as containing these batteries.

Brendan Sullivan, IATA Global Head of Cargo, said as the number of lithium batteries being shipped globally continues to increase, it's essential these vital items are transported safely and efficiently.

"IATA's CEIV Lithium Batteries was established to raise standards, spread best practice, and ensure regulatory compliance across the supply chain."

"We commend Challenge Group for achieving CEIV lithium battery certification. This gives customers total confidence in Challenge Group's world-class performance and quality credentials for lithium battery shipments," he added.

Challenge Group noted that safety in the workplace is ensured through a dedicated Lithium Battery expert team that is drilled in risk prevention and crisis management.

Lithium Battery shipments have separate handling areas, both in the Dangerous Goods section and in the second-line warehouse dedicated to e-commerce.

"E-commerce receives particular attention," said David Canavan, chief operating officer of Challenge Group, noting that around 70% of e-commerce being flown across the globe contains Lithium Batteries.

"That is another reason why more and more air cargo stakeholders should be striving for risk awareness and safe handling. An IATA CEIV Lithium Battery audit is the best way to adopt and ensure company-wide compliance with the required safety standards," he added.

Challenge Group's IATA CEIV Lithium Battery certification adds to its existing IATA CEIV Pharma and IATA CEIV Live accreditations previously awarded to Challenge Airlines and Challenge Handling in Liège.