Battery Air Transport Certification: UN38.3 Compliance Guide

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Battery Air Transport Certification: UN38.3 and Air Transport Assessment Report

Editor:ESTL Category:Certification information Release time:2025-09-20 Click volume:3

What is a Battery Air Transport Assessment Report?

A Battery Air Transport Assessment Report, also known as a Dangerous Goods Transport Condition Assessment Certificate, is a critical document confirming that battery products have passed rigorous safety tests and comply with IATA and other regulatory requirements for air transport of dangerous goods.

Lithium batteries are classified as Class 9 Dangerous Goods due to potential safety risks (fire, explosion). Before air transport, almost all lithium batteries require safety documentation, with UN38.3 test reports and the Air Transport Assessment Report being the most important.

Which Batteries Require This Report?

Nearly all battery types need assessment before air transport:

Lithium-ion batteries (for phones, laptops, drones)
Lithium metal batteries
Large format lithium batteries
Lead-acid batteries
Nickel-metal hydride/nickel-cadmium batteries
Other chemical batteries

Certification Process and Materials

Typical Process:

Select an accredited third-party testing laboratory
Submit application and required documentation
Send battery samples to the laboratory
Conduct laboratory testing (UN38.3 for lithium/sodium-ion batteries)
Receive UN38.3 report and Air Transport Assessment Report

UN38.3 Test Items:

Altitude simulation: Tests performance at reduced pressure
Thermal cycling: Evaluates stability under extreme temperature changes
Vibration testing: Assesses mechanical integrity during transport
Shock testing: Tests ability to withstand impacts
External short circuit: Verifies protection system effectiveness
Crush test: Evaluates safety under extreme pressure
Overcharge test: Tests secondary battery safety limits
Forced discharge: Assesses cell performance under abnormal discharge

Additional requirement: If more than 24 cells or 12 batteries per package (not installed in equipment), a 1.2m free drop test is required.

Required Documentation:

Application form with complete entrusted information
Battery specifications (charging current, discharge parameters, etc.)
Product and packaging photos
Test samples (typically 25-65 cells or 20-25 battery packs)

Report Validity

UN38.3 Test Report: Remains valid if product design unchanged and standard current
Transport Condition Assessment Certificate: Usually valid until December 31 of issue year

Selecting a Testing Laboratory

Choose a lab with appropriate accreditations (CNAS) whose reports are widely recognized by airlines.

Additional Documents for Air Transport:

Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods
UN-specification packaging certification (if required)
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS/SDS) - required by some airlines

Label: dangerous goods certification airline battery requirements lithium battery shipping Class 9 dangerous goods battery air transport MSDS for batteries IATA regulations UN38.3 test

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