The world’s main airline trade groups and European and US lithium battery makers are seeking tighter product-quality and sourcing enforcement, saying a ban on shipments in passenger airliners risks being extended to cargo carriers. Governments need to enforce regulations more strictly against “rogue producers and exporters,” and impose stiffer penalties on companies that put shipments of improperly tested batteries on cargo aircraft, the IATA, International Air Cargo Association and three manufacturers’ or shipping lobbies said Monday. “We’ve had regulations in place for a long time, and they’re regularly strengthened but the frustration is the failure of some states to step in and enforce the regulations,” said Dave Brennan, an assistant director at IATA for cargo safety and standards, said by phone. In some countries, manufacturing is outpacing overseers’ ability to check standards, while some nations’ aviation authorities lack the legal means to impose fines without going to court, he said. Growth of worldwide shipments of lithium-ion batteries, which power devices such as smartphones, laptops and toys, is projected to average 20% annually for the next decade or so after reaching about $16b last year. Three freighter blazes have been linked to lithium battery shipments<br/>
general
It’s getting increasingly unsafe to fly in the world’s fastest growing aviation market. Air safety incidents that prompted regulatory action reached 280 this year, beating the 275 all of last year, data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation showed. At this pace, the number may rise to more than 400 by the end of 2016, making it the worst in three years for aviation safety, according to New Delhi-based DGCA. The DGCA is cracking down on safety violations by airlines in recent months, including a slew of offenses such as aircraft getting too close to each other, overworked staff and inebriated pilots and crew. In the latest incident, the DGCA ordered Jet Airways India and state-owned Air India to file police complaints against pilots who were found drunk, seeking legal action for the first time ever in such cases. The Indian aviation market, which saw air traffic grow 20% last year -- double the pace of China’s, according to IATA -- is struggling to find enough officials to ensure safety of flights. That was one of the reasons why the US FAA downgraded India’s aviation safety rating in 2014, before restoring it a year later following some corrective measures.<br/>
Flights restarted at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport Monday after police determined reports of gunshots at the airport had been baseless. American Airlines restarted operations at its hub shortly after police gave the all-clear at 12:15 a.m., an airline spokesman said by phone. Seven of the carrier’s flights into JFK were diverted, with one plane from Miami redirected to its starting destination while others landed at airports including Chicago and Boston. Lufthansa cancelled a flight to Frankfurt. All affected terminals at the New York airport were evacuated and searched after reports of gunfire spread panic Sunday evening. The search yielded “negative results,” and “no shots were fired,” the New York Police Department said. Authorities received reports of gunshots at Terminal 8 at about 9:30 p.m., while similar reports prompted the closing of Terminal 1 at about 10:15 p.m.<br/>“At this time, no firearm, rounds or shell casings or other evidence of shots fired has been found,” the Port Authority said. “The terminal was evacuated out of an abundance of caution.”<br/>
Indonesian airlines have been cleared to fly to the US after regulators there scrapped a nearly decade-long ban imposed for safety reasons, an official said Monday. US transport officials said in a letter Indonesia’s aviation sector had met international standards and its safety rating had accordingly been upgraded. “Today all Indonesian airlines can fly to the United States,” said DG of civil aviation, Suprasetyo. “This will have a very positive impact on our aviation sector and public trust.” Indonesian carriers were banned from flying to the US in 2007 after the FAA downgraded their safety rating. The EU also imposed restrictions the same year although these have since been lifted. A few airlines, including Garuda and the Indonesian branch of Malaysia-based AirAsia, now fly to Europe. The restrictions followed a series of accidents including fatal crashes by state-owned Garuda. Crashes have continued since 2007, including the loss of 162 lives aboard an AirAsia flight in late 2014. But in a letter to the transport ministry, the FAA said Indonesia’s efforts to improve its oversight system had resulted in “positive findings” during a safety assessment earlier this year.<br/>