IATA 2026 Battery Guidance Document

IATA 2026 Battery Guidance Document

ID 25572 | 18.02.2026 / Attached

IATA 2026 Battery Guidance Document Transport of Lithium Metal, Lithium Ion and Sodium Ion Batteries

Revised for the 2026 Regulations

This document is based on the provisions set out in the 2025-2026 Edition of the ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (Technical Instructions) and the 67th Edition (2026) of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR).

The provisions of the DGR with respect to lithium and sodium ion batteries may also be found in the IATA Battery Shipping Regulations (BSR) 13th Edition. In addition to the content from the DGR, the BSR also has additional classification flowcharts and detailed packing and documentation examples for these batteries.

Reference to “sodium ion battery” in this document, is to be taken as those that meet the testing and classification criteria for UN 3551, Sodium Ion Battery with organic electrolyte set out in the Manual of Tests and Criteria, part III, sub-section 38.3.

Definitions

Lithium Battery refers to a family of batteries with different chemistries, comprising many types of cathodes and electrolytes. For the purposes of the DGR they are separated into lithium metal batteries and lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium metal batteries are generally primary (non-rechargeable) batteries that have lithium metal or lithium compounds as an anode. Also included within lithium metal are lithium alloy batteries. Lithium metal batteries are generally used to power devices such as watches, calculators, cameras, temperature data loggers, car key fobs and defibrillators.

Note: Lithium metal batteries packed by themselves (not contained in or packed with equipment) (Packing Instruction 968) are forbidden for transport as cargo on passenger aircraft).

- In accordance with Special Provision A201, lithium metal cells or batteries that meet the specified quantity limits may be shipped on a passenger aircraft under an approval issued by the authority of the State of Origin, State of Destination and State of the Operator.
- Or in the case of urgent medical need, one consignment of lithium batteries may be transported as Class 9 (UN 3090) on passenger aircraft with the prior approval of the authority of the State of Origin and with the approval of the operator, see Special Provision A201.
- All other lithium metal cells and batteries can only be shipped on a passenger aircraft under exemption issued by all States concerned.

Figure 1 - Example of Lithium Metal Cells and Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (also abbreviated as Li-ion batteries) are secondary (rechargeable) battery where the lithium is only present in an ionic form in the electrolyte. Also included within the category of lithium-ion batteries are lithium polymer batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are generally used to power devices such as mobile telephones, laptop computers, tablets, power tools, hybrid and electric vehicles and e-bikes. Other similar sources of power (power banks, power packs, etc, designed to primarily provide power to another device) are also classified as batteries and not batteries contained in equipment.

Figure 2 - Example of Lithium Ion Cells and Batteries

Note: Lithium ion batteries packed by themselves (Packing Instruction 965 - not contained in or packed with equipment):
a. must be shipped at a state of charge (SoC) not exceeding 30% of their rated capacity. Cells and/or batteries at a SoC of greater than 30% may only be shipped with the approval of the State of Origin and the State of the Operator in accordance with Special Provision A331; and
b. cannot be shipped on a passenger aircraft unless approved by the relevant authorities in accordance with Special Provision A201.

Sodium ion battery, with organic electrolyte is a rechargeable electrochemical system where the positive and negative electrode are both intercalation or insertion compounds, constructed with no metallic sodium (or sodium alloy) in either electrode and with an organic non-aqueous compound as an electrolyte.

Sodium ion cells and batteries with organic electrolyte must be transported as UN 3551 or UN 3552 as appropriate.

Note: Sodium-ion batteries with aqueous alkali electrolyte must be transported as UN 2795 Batteries, wet, filled with alkali.

Figure 3 - Example of Sodium Ion Cells and Batteries

Aggregate lithium content means the sum of the grams of lithium content contained by the cells comprising a battery.

The technical definition of a battery, button cell and cell, as indicated in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, is as follows:
- Battery means two or more cells or batteries which are electrically connected together and fitted with devices necessary for use, for example, case, terminals, marking and protective devices. Units which have two or more cells that are commonly referred to as "battery packs", "modules" or "battery assemblies" having the primary function of providing a source of power to another piece of equipment are for the purposes of the UN Model Regulations and this guidance document treated as batteries. See definitions for “cell” and “single cell battery”. (See also “Power Banks”)
- Button cell or battery means a round small cell or battery when the overall height is less than the diameter.

Cell means a single encased electrochemical unit (one positive and one negative electrode) which exhibits a voltage differential across its two terminals and may contain protective devices.

Note: Under the UN Model Regulations, UN Manual of Tests and Criteria and this guidance, to the extent the encased electrochemical unit meets the definition of “cell” herein, it is a “cell”, not a “battery”, regardless of whether the unit is termed a “battery” or a “single cell battery” outside of the UN Model Regulations, the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria and this guidance.
Consignment: one or more packages of dangerous goods accepted by an operator (airline) from one shipper at one time and at one address, receipted for in one lot and moving to one consignee at one destination address.

Indicated Battery Capacity is to be taken as the indicated remaining usable battery capacity that the user sees via a display gauge or indicator lights.

Net quantity, is either:
a. the weight or volume of the dangerous goods contained in a package excluding the weight or volume of any packaging material; or
b. the weight of an unpackaged article of dangerous goods (e.g. UN 3166).

For the purposes of this definition “dangerous goods” means the substance or article as described by the proper shipping name shown in Table 4.2, e.g. for “Fire extinguishers”, the net quantity is the weight of the fire extinguisher (the article). For articles packed with equipment or contained in equipment, the net quantity is the net weight of the article, e.g. for “Lithium-ion batteries contained in equipment”, the net quantity is the net weight of the lithium ion batteries (the article) in the package.

Overpack means an enclosure used by a single shipper to contain one or more packages and to form one handling unit for convenience of handling and stowage. Dangerous goods packages contained in the overpack must be properly packed, marked, labelled and in proper condition as required by the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.

The overpack must not contain packages enclosing different substances which might react dangerously with each other or packages of dangerous goods which require segregation according to Table 9.3.A.
In addition, packages containing

- UN 3090, lithium metal batteries prepared in accordance with Section IA or Section IB of PI968,
- UN 3480, lithium ion batteries prepared in accordance with Section IA or Section IB of PI 965, or
- UN 3551, sodium ion batteries prepared in accordance with PI 976.

are not permitted in an overpack with packages containing dangerous goods classified in Class 1 other than Division 1.4S, Division 2.1, Class 3, Division 4.1 or Division 5.1.

Power bank (power pack, mobile battery, etc.), these are portable devices designed to be able to charge consumer devices such as mobile phones and tablets. For the purposes of this guidance document and the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, power banks are to be classified as batteries and must be assigned to UN 3480, lithium ion batteries, or UN 3090, lithium metal batteries, as applicable.

Note: When carried by passengers, there are new restrictions on power banks. Further information can be found in the “Passengers travelling with lithium batteries guidance document including small vehicles “.

Rated capacity means the capacity, in ampere-hours or milliampere-hours, of a cell or battery as measured by subjecting it to a load, temperature and voltage cut-off point specified by the manufacturer.

Note: The following IEC standards provide guidance and methodology for determining the rated capacity:

1. IEC 61960-3 (Edition 1.0 2017-02): Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes -Secondary lithium cells and batteries for portable applications;
2. IEC 62133 -2 (Edition 1.1 Amd1 2021-07): Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes - Safety requirements for portable sealed secondary cells, and for batteries made from them, for use in portable applications;
3. IEC 62660-1 (Second Edition 2018-12): Secondary lithium-ion cells for the propulsion of electric road vehicles- Part 1: Performance testing.
State of Charge (SoC): The State of Charge (SoC) represents the percentage of capacity stored in a battery or energy storage system relative to its rated capacity.
State of Origin: The country (State) in the territory of which the consignment is to first be loaded on an aircraft.
State of the Operator: The country (State) in which the operator's principal place of business is located or, if there is no such place of business, the operator's permanent residence.
State of Destination: The country (State) in the territory of which the consignment is finally to be unloaded from an aircraft.
Watt-hour rating: expressed in Wh, the Watt-hour rating of a lithium cell or battery is calculated by multiplying the rated capacity in ampere-hours by the nominal voltage.

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Fonte: IATA

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