Hidden Dangers: Lithium Batteries Upend Air Cargo Safety

The surge in e-commerce and widespread use of lithium battery-powered devices have introduced a critical safety concern for the air-cargo industry. A new IATA white paper emphasizes that the evolving e-commerce landscape, with its intricate network of millions of individual shipments, complicates the identification of dangerous goods at the point of origin. Products like power banks and electronic devices require careful vetting for hazardous material requirements before sale.

Lithium batteries, now integral to a vast array of consumer products, are central to this issue. As these batteries become commonplace, both consumers and small-scale sellers may overlook their classification as dangerous goods requiring specific shipping controls. Incident data reveals that over 80% of dangerous goods occurrences reported to IATA involved undeclared items, with lithium batteries being a primary concern during January-June 2025, accounting for 81% of reported incidents.

Unlike traditional cargo handled by established distributors, the direct-to-consumer model of e-commerce involves numerous independent sellers who may lack awareness of dangerous goods regulations or rely on inaccurate online product descriptions. This lack of oversight means products containing lithium batteries can enter the transport system without proper identification or preparation, posing a significant risk.