Kia ora Cody,

I acknowledge receipt of your official information request to the CAA for
the following –

Please provide the supporting evidence used to influence the AvSec
decision making process that has resulted in AirPods charging cases being
designated as prohibited goods for airline check-in purposes.

 

Please also supply any associated communications to airlines concerning
the same.

 

Further, is AvSec aware of any other airline security organisation
(outside NZ) that similarly prohibits the carriage of AirPods charging
cases for airline check-in purposes?

We received your request on 11 November 2022. We will endeavour to respond
to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than 9
December 2022, being 20 working days after the day your request was
received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will
notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

Your request is being handled by the OIA team. If you have any queries,
please feel free to contact us at [CAA request email] with the reference
23/OIR/129.

If any additional factors come to light which are relevant to your
request, please do not hesitate to contact us so that these can be taken
into account.

Yours sincerely,

OIA Team

Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand  Q Aviation Security Service

Te Mana Rererangi Tûmatanui o Aotearoa  |  Kaiwhakamaru Rererangi

 

Legal Services | OIA

 * Level 15, Asteron Centre, 55 Featherston Street, Wellington 6011, PO
Box 3555, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand

P  Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

 

This e-mail (and its accompanying attachments) is intended for the named
recipient only and may contain information that is provided in confidence
and may be subject to legal privilege. Any classification marking must be
adhered to. If you are not the intended recipient please inform the sender
and destroy the message. If you have received this message in error you
must not distribute or copy this e-mail or its attachments. The Civil
Aviation Authority accepts no responsibility for any changes made to this
message after the transmission from the Civil Aviation Authority. Before
opening or using attachments, check them for viruses and other effects.
This communication may be accessed or retained for information assurance
and cyber security purposes.

Kia ora Cody,

 

I refer to your Official Information Act request about why Airpods
charging cases cannot be carried in checked baggage.  

 

Please provide the supporting evidence used to influence the AvSec
decision making process that has resulted in AirPods charging cases being
designated as prohibited goods for airline check-in purposes.

 

The Aviation Security Service (Avsec) does not determine which items are
Dangerous Goods. Instead, this is determined by the International Civil
Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Technical Instructions which Avsec are
required to comply with under New Zealand [1]Civil Aviation Rule 92.13.

 

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) considers that Airpods charging cases
meet the definition contained in Clause 19 of [2]Table 8-1 of the ICAO
Technical Instructions, which specifies that articles containing lithium
metal or lithium ion cells or batteries, the primary purpose of which is
to provide power to another device, must be carried as spare batteries [in
accordance with the item below]. The item immediately below Clause 19
specifies that spare batteries can only be carried in carry-on baggage or
on the person, and are not permitted in checked baggage.

 

Passengers are therefore asked to carry these items in their carry-on
baggage only.

 

Please also supply any associated communications to airlines concerning
the same.

 

An internal email detailing a communication with Air New Zealand about
carriage of these items is attached. The email has been redacted where it
is considered outside the scope of your request. Please note we have
redacted staff phone numbers under section 9(2)(a) of the Official
Information Act 1982, to protect the privacy of the natural persons. We do
not consider there are pubic interest factors that favour release of the
information withheld.

 

Further, is AvSec aware of any other airline security organisation
(outside NZ) that similarly prohibits the carriage of AirPods charging
cases for airline check-in purposes?

 

The ICAO Technical Instructions guide the classification of Dangerous
Goods for all countries that are subject to ICAO. The CAA has consulted
with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States of
America, and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia (CASA), and
both organisations agree with the approach taken to Airpods charging cases
by the CAA under the auspices of the ICAO Technical Instructions.

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[3]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

 

Kind regards,

 

Kate Kerrigan (she/her) | Official Information Coordinator

Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand  Q Aviation Security Service

Te Mana Rererangi Tūmatanui o Aotearoa  |  Kaiwhakamaru Rererangi

 

Legal Services | OIA

 * Level 15, Asteron Centre, 55 Featherston Street, Wellington 6011, PO
Box 3555, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand

P  Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

 

This e-mail (and its accompanying attachments) is intended for the named
recipient only and may contain information that is provided in confidence
and may be subject to legal privilege. Any classification marking must be
adhered to. If you are not the intended recipient please inform the sender
and destroy the message. If you have received this message in error you
must not distribute or copy this e-mail or its attachments. The Civil
Aviation Authority accepts no responsibility for any changes made to this
message after the transmission from the Civil Aviation Authority. Before
opening or using attachments, check them for viruses and other effects.
This communication may be accessed or retained for information assurance
and cyber security purposes.

References

Visible links
1. https://www.aviation.govt.nz/rules/rule-...
2. https://www.icao.int/safety/DangerousGoo...
3. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/