News


16.02.2021

Effects of pandemic control measures SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 on the transportation of dangerous goods


Austro Control / Aviation Agency Department Operations refers to the decree recently issued by the Federal Ministry Republic of Austria Climate Action, Environment, Engergy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK):

„SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19; Effects of pandemic control measures on the transport of dangerous goods – GZ:2021-0.074.475“
 
Abstract of the decree, affecting the safe transport of dangerous goods by air:
 
The validity of training courses for the transport of dangerous goods in civil aviation in accordance with § 33 GGBG in conjunction with 1; 4 ICAO-TI, which ends nominally between March 1st, 2020 and March 31st, 2021, remains valid until the latter point in time during this period and may be extended by 24 months (based on the original expiry date) according to the usual refreshing modalities. 
 
This rule does not apply to training courses that companies have established in accordance with regulations and, if necessary, officially recognized for their personnel, which is not affected by the measures to combat epidemics (such as certain types of distance learning courses).
 

04.12.2020

Effects of pandemic control measures SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 on the transportation of dangerous goods

29.05.2020

Dangerous goods training: New regulations for classroom training during COVID-19

29.05.2020

Carriage of Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer in Passenger and Crew Baggage

14.10.2016

Safety advice - Samsung Galaxy Note 7 - update

01.03.2016

The transport of lithium ion batteries, UN3480, PI 965, as cargo on passenger aircraft will be forbidden with effect of April 1st, 2016. Special Provision 201 applies.
UN3480, PI 965, Section IA and IB. Lithium ion cells and/or batteries must be offered for transport at a state of charge not exceeding 30% of their rated design capacity. Cells and/or batteries at a greater state of charge may only be shipped with the approval of the State of Origin and the State of the Operator under the written conditions established by those authorities. UN3480, PI 965, Section IA and IB, are forbidden for carriage on passenger aircraft. All packages must bear the ‘Cargo Aircraft Only’ label in addition to other marks and labels required by the regulations.
State of charge not exceeding 30% also applies to UN3480, PI 965, Section II. All packages prepared in accordance with Section II of PI 965 are forbidden for carriage on passenger aircraft. All packages must bear the ‘Cargo Aircraft Only’ label in addition to other marks and labels required by the regulations.
No shipper is permitted to offer for transport more than one package prepared according to Section II in any single consignment. Not more than one package prepared in accordance with Section II of PI 965 may be placed into an overpack. The lithium battery handling label and the ‘Cargo Aircraft Only’ label must either be clearly visible or the label must be affixed on the outside of the overpack and the overpack must be marked with the word “Overpack”.
This also applies to Lithium metal batteries, UN3090, PI 968, Section II.
Packages prepared according to Section II of PI 965 and PI 968 must be offered to the operator separately from other cargo and must not be loaded into a unit load device (ULD) before being offered to the operator.

10.06.2015

Safety advice amendment

13.03.2015

Safety advice - Lithium Batteries

25.06.2014

TRANSPORT OF DANGEROUS GOODS - from the 1st of January 2015 there will be a ban on Lithium-Metal batteries (UN3090) as cargo on passenger aircraft in place

 

Exemption (Special Provision A201)

 

1. Current topics

The packing instructions applicable to lithium ion and lithium metal batteries have been revised to limit the quantity of lithium batteries that may be placed in a package under the provisions of Section II.
A new Section IB has been added to these packing instructions that permit small lithium batteries meeting the general requirements of Section II to continue to be shipped in non-UN specification packagings up to a total package weight of 10 kg.

Shipments prepared according to Section IB are subject to all of the applicable requirements of these Regulations, including that for dangerous goods training.
Section IB shipments do not require the full Shipper’s Declaration but do require an abbreviated document or information on the air waybill as indicated in the packing instructions.
Section I of these packing instructions has been revised to become Section IA. The package limits specified in Section IA have been revised to become net quantity per package.

The packing instructions applicable to lithium ion and lithium metal batteries packed with equipment have been revised to clearly apply a limit on the net quantity (weight) of lithium batteries that may be placed in a package under the provisions of both Section I and Section II.
The limit of Section I is 5 kg net on a passenger aircraft and 35 kg net on a cargo aircraft. For Section II the limit is 5 kg net per package for both passenger and cargo aircraft.

The packing instructions applicable to lithium ion and lithium metal batteries contained in equipment have been revised to clearly apply a limit on the net quantity (weight) of lithium batteries that may be placed in a package under the provisions of both Section I and Section II.
The limit of Section I is 5 kg net on a passenger aircraft and 35 kg net on a cargo aircraft. For Section II the limit is 5 kg net per package for both passenger and cargo aircraft.

 

Notification to Captain

A NOTOC must be provided to the Pilot-in-Command as early as practicable prior to departure of the aircraft but in no case later than when the aircraft moves under its own power.

From January 1st, 2014 this information must also be provided to personnel with responsibilities for operational control of the aircraft (e.g. flight operations officer, flight dispatcher or designated ground personnel responsible for flight operations).

A table of dangerous goods not required to appear in the information to the pilot-in-command (NOTOC) has been implemented (Table 7-9, ICAO TI).

For helicopter operations, with the approval of the State of the Operator, the NOTOC may be abbreviated or be by other means (e.g. radio communication, as part of the working flight documentations such as a journey log or operational flight plan) where circumstances make it impractical to produce written or printed information or on a dedicated form.

Safety advice for dangerous goods transport by air

Lithium ion batteries, classified as UN3481, class 9 that are used as retrofit kits for e.g. electronic bikes are forbidden for dangerous goods transport by air, if the retrofit kit is designed in a way, where it has to be considered as being in operation.

Amendment of the national dangerous goods transportation law into force

Since the 21st of May 2011 the Amendment of the national Dangerous Goods Transportation Act came into effect.

The following issues have been amended:

  • Approval of Training Providers/Instructors and their training programs
  • Acceptance of Dangerous Goods
  • Extension of the surveillance competencies of Austro Control to the whole process chain, beginning with the shipper and ending with the operator
  • Inclusion of the violations of the dangerous goods transportation by air into the penalty scale of the national Dangerous Goods Transportation act
  • Austro Control as the Austrian Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for the notification and investigation of dangerous goods occurrences and incidents (FUS is still responsible for dangerous goods accidents and serious incidents)

 

Hereby you can find further details in regard to above mentioned amendments

The new dangerous goods regulation according to the above mentioned national law is in process at the moment and is expected to come into effect in spring 2013.


2. ICAO Amendments

Major Changes of the Technical Instructions Edition 2015 - 2016

Aircraft batteries - Lithium-batteries / ICAO reaction of Dreamliner problems - A787


3. Newsletter

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4. Important Links 

Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation & Technology
www.bmk.gv.at

International Civil Aviation Organisation
www.icao.int

International Air Transport Association
www.iata.org


5. Events