Cathay Cargo and the Cathay Cargo Terminal have received the IATA Center of Excellence for Independent Validators Lithium Batteries (CEIV Li-batt) certification.

Cathay said in its announcement that with this new accreditation, both Cathay Cargo and the Cathay Cargo Terminal now hold the full set of CEIV certifications, joining CEIV Pharma, CEIV Fresh and CEIV Live Animals.

 Lavinia Lau, Cathay's chief customer and commercial officer (right) and Tom Owen, Cathay's director of cargo (left), received the IATA's CEIV Li-batt certification from ​Dr Xie Xingquan, IATA's regional vice president. [Source: Cathay Pacific]

"CEIV Li-batt addresses an important issue for the air-cargo industry," Cathay said, adding that the incorrect charging, handling and mislabelling of shipments containing lithium-ion batteries can endanger people and property and has caused fires.

It added that this has become a bigger issue for the air-cargo industry as e-commerce continues to grow, increasing the incidence of undeclared or misdeclared shipments.

"The airline-specific CEIV Li-batt accreditation joins Cathay Cargo's existing mitigations for lithium-ion battery shipments, which include a full range of fire containment bags (FCBs) and fire-resistant containers (FRCs)," Cathay said.

It added that Cathay Cargo also operates its Cargo Agent Operation Programme and an additional indemnity scheme for mislabelled dangerous goods as the supply chain becomes more complex.

The Cathay Cargo Terminal at Hong Kong International Airport has also independently achieved its own CEIV Li-batt accreditation for cargo terminal operators, ensuring customers' shipments receive a safe and assured end-to-end experience, whether travelling to, from or through Hong Kong.

"The safe carriage of lithium-ion batteries is a core focus of our cargo business, and we have introduced a coherent and far-reaching series of safety protocols with our customers and operational teams to mitigate risks over the past few years," said Tom Owen, director of cargo at Cathay Pacific.

"The CEIV Li-batt accreditation now achieved by both Cathay Cargo and the Cathay Cargo Terminal will give further confidence to our customers that we adhere to the highest standards of handling in the industry," he added.

CEIV Li-batt formalises baseline standards to improve the competency and quality management in the handling and carriage of lithium-ion batteries across the logistics supply chain.

The accreditation is also available to shippers, forwarders and cargo terminal operators.

The entire programme is underpinned by the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) and the IATA Lithium Battery Shipping Regulations (LBSR), and adds training, assessment and validation that demonstrate compliance with these regulations.

"The air cargo market for products containing lithium-ion batteries is experiencing significant growth. We congratulate Cathay Cargo and its cargo terminal operator, Cathay Cargo Terminal, on successfully achieving IATA's CEIV Lithium Batteries Certification," said Dr Xie Xingquan, IATA Regional Vice President for North Asia.

"This accomplishment by one of the world's largest cargo operators and its partner, located in one of the busiest logistics hubs globally, is a significant boost for the aviation industry."

Xingquan noted that it also assures the customers of these organisations that "they are adhering to the highest safety and security standards when transporting products containing lithium-ion batteries."

Owen noted that Cathay will "continue to innovate and optimise our processes around safe lithium-ion battery carriage."

"The work we are doing related to this will remain the utmost priority for our operational teams," Cathay's director of cargo further said.