The 66th Edition of IATA DGR

Recently, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) released the 66th Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR), which will apply from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025. Below are the amendments/changes related to the battery.

Lithium Battery (Partially New)

Packing Instructions: Lithium-ion Batteries PI 966, PI 967 and Lithium Metal Batteries PI 969, PI 970

• New 3m stacking test requirement addedto the Packing Instructions:
• PI 966-II、PI 967-I/II、PI 969-II、PI 970-I/II
• New charge requirementsadded to the Packing Instructions:
• PI 966–I

It is recommended that the state of charge of cells or batteries should not exceed 30% by December 31, 2025.

From January 1, 2026, the state of charge of cells or batteries must not exceed 30%. If transportation with a state of charge (SOC) exceeding 30% is required, approval from both the country of origin and the country of operation is needed.

• PI 966-II

It is recommended that the state of charge of cells or batteries should not exceed 30% by December 31, 2025.

From January 1st, 2026, the state of charge (SOC) of cells or batteries above 2.7Wh shall not exceed 30%. Approval from both the country of origin and the country of operation is required for transportation exceeding 30% SOC. For cells or batteries of 2.7Wh or below, it is recommended that the SOC does not exceed 30%.

• PI 967-I/II

The recommended state of charge for cells or batteries should not exceed 30%, and the recommended indicated capacity for equipment should not exceed 25%.

Sodium-ion Battery Section (all new)

Sodium-ion battery numbering and packing requirements

Sodium-ion battery PI 976

• Packaging for the application of Class II performance requirements;
• Passenger and cargo aircraft are prohibited from transportation, and all-cargo aircraft are restricted to 35kg per package;
• The cells or batteries must not exceed a 30% charge level.

Sodium-ion battery PI 977

• For PI 977-I, packaging for the application of Class II performance requirements.
• For PI 977-I, passenger and cargo aircraft are prohibited from transportation, and all-cargo aircraft are restricted to 35kg per package;
• For PI 977-II, robust and shock-resistant packaging should be used and the packageneed to conduct 2m free fall test.
• For PI 977-II, the limitation is 5kg per package for both passenger and cargo aircraft, as well as for all-cargo aircraft.

Sodium-ion battery PI 978

• For PI 978-I/II, robust and shock-resistant packaging should be used;
• For PI 978-I, passenger and cargo aircraft are prohibited from transportation, and all-cargo aircraft are restricted to 35kg per package;
• For PI 978-II, the limitation is 5kg per package for both passenger and cargo aircraft, as well as for all-cargo aircraft;

Vehicle Class With Battery Application

1. Pure electric vehicle numbering and packaging requirements

Given the battery characteristics, the original 3171 (lithium-ion, lithium-metal, sodium-metal, lead-acid, nickel-metal hydride, etc. battery drive) was split into the following numbers

• 3171 (Powered by Sodium-Metal, Lead-Acid, Nickel-Metal Hydride)
• 3556（Powered by Lithium-Ion Batteries）
• 3557 (Powered by Lithium Metal Batteries)
• 3558 (Powered by Sodium-ion Batteries)

For PI 952 (355x), new requirements for the State of Charge (SOC) have been added to the packaging instructions.

• Until December 31, 2025, it is recommended that the battery’s state of charge does not exceed 30%, or the indicated capacity of the entire vehicle does not exceed 25%.
• From 1 January 2026，

1. For batteries with a capacity of over 100Wh, the state of charge should not exceed 30%, or theindicated capacity of the entire vehicle should not exceed 25%.
2. For batteries with a capacity of below 100Wh, the state of charge should not exceed 30%, or the indicated capacity of the entire vehicle should not exceed 25%.

 Batteries with a capacity of over 100Wh that need to be transported with a state of charge exceeding 30% or an indicated capacity exceeding 25% require approval from both the country of origin and the country of operation.

Other Informative Changes

• “The Class 9 Dangerous Goods Label for Lithium Battery” is renamed as “The Class 9 Dangerous Goods Label for Lithium-ion and Sodium-ion Battery”.
• “Lithium Battery Label” is renamed as “Battery Label”.