United latest to ban carriage of lithium-ion batteries
Airlines are coming under pressure to ban shipments of lithium-ion batteries after United Airlines became the second major US carrier to announce it will no longer carry large quantities onboard.
It follows Delta Airlines’ decision to stop bulk shipments of the batteries in February.
Aviation officials believe that lithium-ion batteries, which are more prone to overheating than other types, contributed to fires that destroyed two Boeing 747 cargo planes, killing all four crew members.
In 2010, a plane operated by UPS Airlines crashed in Dubai after developing a fire onboard and in 2011 an Asiana Airlines cargo plane crashed into the Korea Strait. Both were caryring large consignments of lithium-ion batteries.
Missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 was also carrying a shipment of lithium-ion batteries when it disappeared a year ago en route to Beijing, leading to speculation there was a fire onboard.
"Our primary concerns when transporting dangerous goods are the safety of our customers, our customers’ shipments and the environment," United Airlines said in a statement.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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