The SATS Group has recently achieved IATA's Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Lithium Battery Certification becoming the first ground handler worldwide to get a nod for its safe transportation of lithium batteries by air.

SATS Ltd (SATS) — together with its Hong Kong subsidiary Asia Airfreight Terminal Co. Ltd. (AAT) and Indonesian joint venture PT Jasa Angkasa Semesta Tbk (PT JAS) — were conferred their CEIV Li-batt certificates at IATA's World Cargo Symposium 2022.

The certification will remain in effect for two years.

The "Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators Lithium Batteries" (CEIV Li-batt) is a certification programme of IATA that establishes baseline standards to improve competency and quality management in the handling and carriage of lithium batteries, alone or with finished products, along the supply chain.

Rogue lithium battery shipments that pose a safety risk to aircraft, passengers and crew remain a pressing issue amid continued growth in e-commerce.

"The SATS Group mitigates this risk by validating the compliance with regulations for dangerous goods consignments and storing them safely in a dedicated holding area. In addition, trained personnel are empowered to stop potentially non-compliant shipments for further inspection," SATS said.

In Singapore, SATS noted that it has put in place a digital compliance solution to enable safer and automated dangerous goods verification checks.

SATS also continues to work closely with partners in the airport ecosystem and harness advanced technology to strengthen Changi Airport as a trusted aviation hub.

 Source: SATS 

"Ensuring safe and seamless connections for passengers and cargo is our priority. In 2014, SATS Coolport was the world's first on-airport perishable handling centre to be certified by IATA as a Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Handling. In another global first for SATS, the latest IATA CEIV Li-batt certification accomplished with our group of companies demonstrates our commitment to be at the forefront of innovation," said Bob Chi, chief executive officer of Gateway Services, SATS.

"As lithium batteries grow to be the preferred energy source for consumer electronics and mobility products, we believe this certification will set a new international benchmark for safe aviation travel and give customers the added confidence that we handle shipments of dangerous goods with the highest level of care and diligence," Chi added.

Meanwhile, Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s global head of cargo, noted that expanding the CEIV Li-batt programme to include all stakeholders along the air cargo value chain, the stronger and more effective it will be for the industry. 

"We congratulate SATS, AAT and PT JAS on becoming the first ground handling companies in the world to achieve CEIV Li-batt certification ... Ultimately, we want to see a network of CEIV Li-batt trade lanes with participants certified at origin, destination and in transit points," Sullivan said.

SATS said the milestone was the result of an extensive CEIV Li-batt certification process comprising personnel training, assessment and independent validation to determine compliance against over 300 audit criteria.

The programme standards are based on IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and IATA Lithium Battery Shipping Regulations, which combine regulatory and operational input from industry and government experts.