US Congress eases lithium battery air cargo shipment bill until 2015

THE US Congress has finalised rules on the transport of hazardous lithium batteries used on laptops and mobile phones on cargo aircraft, which will block tougher rules on shipments until 2015.

In the next four years, the Federal Aviation Administration will have US$63 million in funding, but the less stringent rule will please manufacturers of equipment using rechargeable batteries, reported the Wall Street Journal.

The tighter rules over packaging and documentation will not be enforced unless investigators of an international air-accident where rechargeable batteries "substantially contributed" to an aircraft fire.