Lithium risk revives cargo-hold conversion mandate

European safety regulators are proposing regulatory changes which would require operators of aircraft with Class D cargo or baggage compartments to convert them to a higher fire-resistant standard. Close to 500 large aircraft registered in EASA member states are fitted with Class D compartments, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency estimates. EASA had previously examined the issue in 2013 but decided that the overall cost-benefit of mandatory conversion – to either Class C or Class E – was too low to warrant a regulatory change. But the increasing fire risk posed by thermal runaway of lithium batteries in baggage or cargo has spurred a rethink. Class D compartments are designed to contain a fire completely without endangering the aircraft, and rely on oxygen starvation and resistance of liners to penetration. EASA estimates that some 470 aircraft with such compartments remain in service within Europe, including over 150 Airbus A320-family jets and more than 150 Boeing 737s.<br/>