Can defective or damaged lithium batteries be shipped by air?

• A. No
• B. Yes
• C. Only with approval
• D. Only with special container

Answer: (A)

Damaged or defective lithium batteries are forbidden for air transport because they can fail catastrophically. Internal damage can cause short circuits and thermal runaway, and in flight there are limited means to control or suppress a battery fire in the cargo hold. To protect people, aircraft, and other cargo, the regulations treat damaged/defective units as not allowed for air shipping, regardless of packaging or approvals. If a battery is faulty, it should be taken out of service and disposed of or transported by another mode (such as ground) for proper handling or recycling. Only intact, undamaged batteries that meet packaging and handling rules may be shipped by air.