Domestic Lithium-ion Batteries Weighing over 35kg Exported by Air for the First Time

On October 20, flight RU389 of AirBridgeCargo Airlines, carrying CATL's large lithium-ion power batteries with a weight of over 35kg, took off from the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, and landed at the Frankfurt Airport in Germany at 03:00 a.m. on October 21, which is the first time that China-made large power batteries with a weight of over 35kg have been exported by air.   

According to international standards, if a lithium-ion battery with a weight of over 35kg is transported by air, a special A99 approval shall be obtained from the competent authority of the country of origin and the competent authority of the country where the airline is located. Since 2019, through cooperation with the Administration Center of Civil Aviation Administration of China for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air and AirBridgeCargo Airlines and with the strong support of the CAAC East China Regional Administration and Fuzhou Customs, CATL has continuously explored and overcome many difficulties, and finally obtained the first domestic "A99 Special Approval for Transport of Lithium-ion Batteries with a Weight of over 35kg by Air" issued by the CAAC East China Regional Administration on September 7, 2021 and the A99 special approval issued by the Russian counterpart on September 13.  

With such A99 special approvals, lithium-ion batteries with a weight of over 35kg are allowed to be transported by air, which can greatly improve the transportation efficiency and save more than 85% of the transportation time, thus enhancing the competitiveness of Chinese batteries in the international market.