Lithium Battery Air Freight: UN38.3, Packing Classes, and Common Rejections
Why a correctly manufactured battery still gets refused at the airline counter, and the documentation that prevents it.
2026-01-223 minDONYION supply team
Airlines do not reject batteries because they are dangerous in principle; they reject shipments where the paperwork does not match the pack. Most rejections trace back to three documents.
The three documents
- UN38.3 test summary for the exact cell and pack configuration
- Safety data sheet matching the chemistry and capacity shipped
- Shipper's declaration completed for the correct packing instruction
Packing classes in practice
Cells, batteries packed with equipment and batteries contained in equipment follow different instructions, and the state of charge limit applies to air transport. Label the outer case before the courier arrives: relabelling at the terminal is where schedules slip.
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