UN 38.3

safety tests, including altitude simulation, thermal cycling, vibration, shock, short circuit and crush. Manufacturers and subsequent distributors, including of equipment that contains lithium batteries, must make available a test summary showing the applicable tests were passed. For air freight this sits alongside strict carriage rules: batteries shipped on their own are restricted to cargo aircraft and must be at a state of charge not exceeding 30 per cent of rated capacity, a limit that extends from 1 January 2026 to batteries packed with the equipment they power. The shipper signs a legal declaration that the shipment meets the regulations, which airlines rely on as evidence of compliance.