Start With the Physical Configuration, Not the Product Name

A commercial description such as “battery pack,” “laptop set” or “power-tool kit” does not identify the packing instruction. The air-shipping configuration depends on where each battery is in relation to the equipment it is intended to power when the completed transport package is offered to the carrier.

Compare three simple examples:

1. A replacement laptop battery shipped without a laptop starts with the PI 965 / UN 3480 pathway.
2. A compatible laptop battery packed beside the laptop, but not installed, starts with the PI 966 / UN 3481 pathway.
3. A laptop shipped with its battery installed starts with the PI 967 / UN 3481 pathway.

The same product model can therefore move under a different packing instruction when the physical configuration changes. A supplier cannot safely reuse a label, declaration or booking description from an earlier shipment if the battery-to-equipment relationship is different.

Before selecting a packing instruction, establish six facts:

1. Battery identity and chemistry. Record the manufacturer, exact model and confirmation that the battery is lithium ion, including lithium polymer where applicable.
2. Test status and condition. Match the battery or product to the applicable UN 38.3 test-summary identity and determine whether it is new and undamaged. Damaged, defective, recalled, prototype, low-production, waste or recycling batteries may require a different pathway or may be forbidden from ordinary air transport.
3. Physical configuration. For every battery, record whether it is shipped alone, packed with compatible equipment or installed in equipment.
4. Watt-hour rating. Record the Wh rating of each cell and battery. If only nominal voltage and ampere-hours are available, verify the calculation with the manufacturer rather than relying on a sales listing.
5. Shipment quantity. Record battery count, net battery quantity, package count, gross mass, dimensions and any overpack.
6. Route and operator. Identify origin, transit points, destination, requested passenger- or cargo-aircraft pathway and intended operator.

If any of these facts are missing or inconsistent, stop at the uncertainty. Choosing the least restrictive packing instruction is not a valid way to resolve incomplete information.

PI 965 vs PI 966 vs PI 967 at a Glance

The following table is an orientation tool based on the public 2026 IATA lithium-battery flowchart. It is not a substitute for the complete packing instructions or a carrier acceptance decision.

The public flowchart uses 20 Wh per lithium-ion cell and 100 Wh per lithium-ion battery as important section thresholds. Those figures do not settle the result. Configuration comes first, and quantity or another condition can move a shipment out of the initially expected branch.

For the upstream naming distinction, see the dedicated guide to UN 3480 versus UN 3481.

PI 965: Lithium-Ion Batteries Shipped by Themselves

PI 965 is the starting instruction for UN 3480 lithium-ion cells and batteries shipped without the equipment they power. Common examples include replacement batteries, standalone battery modules and power banks. The battery does not become “packed with equipment” merely because a charger, cable or unrelated electronic item is placed in the box.

The public 2026 IATA flowchart shows:

• Section IA for cells above 20 Wh or batteries above 100 Wh; and
• Section IB for cells not exceeding 20 Wh and batteries not exceeding 100 Wh within the applicable Section IB conditions.

A smaller battery does not automatically qualify for Section IB. Package quantity and every other condition in the effective instruction must still be checked. If the proposed shipment exceeds the applicable Section IB allowance, the fully regulated Section IA pathway may need to be considered even when the individual cells or batteries are within the lower Wh range.

PI 965 has two especially important operational consequences in 2026.

First, lithium-ion cells and batteries shipped by themselves must generally be offered at a state of charge not exceeding 30% of rated capacity. A shipment above that level requires the approval-dependent pathway specified by the current rules. See the dedicated lithium battery state-of-charge guide for the full distinction.

Second, the 2026 IATA guidance shows UN 3480 under PI 965 as forbidden on passenger aircraft in the baseline flowchart. Section IA and Section IB packages therefore follow a Cargo Aircraft Only pathway unless a specific approval provision applies.

Cargo Aircraft Only does not mean automatically accepted. The chosen airline, origin station, transit facilities and destination station may impose stricter restrictions or decline the cargo. The shipper must also confirm packaging, package capability, battery net quantity, marks, labels, the Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods and booking information for the exact shipment.

PI 966: Lithium-Ion Batteries Packed With Equipment

PI 966 applies when lithium-ion cells or batteries are packed with the equipment they are intended to power but are not installed in that equipment. The batteries and equipment form the same completed transport package.

A typical example is a cordless-tool package containing the tool and compatible removable batteries. The equipment relationship must be genuine. IATA's 2026 guidance explains that a package containing only batteries, an AC adaptor, a charger or ancillary cables is not “packed with equipment” for PI 966. The equipment must be the device or apparatus for which the batteries provide electrical power.

PI 966 uses:

• Section I for the higher Wh branch; and
• Section II for cells not exceeding 20 Wh and batteries not exceeding 100 Wh when every Section II condition is met.

The battery count must also be related to the included equipment. The effective instruction limits the operating batteries and spare sets that may be placed in the package. Do not assume that any number of compatible spares can be added simply because one piece of equipment is present. Record how many batteries are needed to power each device, how many devices are packed and how many spare sets are proposed, then verify the current limits and aircraft column.

The 2026 PI 966 state-of-charge change

From 1 January 2026, the public IATA guidance states that PI 966 Section I lithium-ion cells and batteries must be offered at a state of charge not exceeding 30% of rated capacity. A higher SoC requires approval from the State of Origin and the State of the Operator under the written conditions established by those authorities.

For PI 966 Section II, cells and batteries with a Watt-hour rating above 2.7 Wh must also be offered at not more than 30% SoC. When those cells or batteries exceed 30%, the guidance directs the shipment to the Section I approval-dependent pathway.

This date matters. A supplier worksheet or article prepared before 2026 may describe reduced SoC for batteries packed with equipment as optional. Do not rely on an old template without checking the rule edition in force on the shipping date.

PI 966 packaging must protect the batteries from damage and short circuit and control movement inside the completed package. Depending on the section and permitted packaging method, the package may involve UN Specification packaging, inner packaging and a strong rigid outer package. Section II PI 966 packages also have a completed-package capability requirement addressed in the current instruction. The complete package—not an empty carton or one component considered alone—must satisfy the applicable preparation standard.

PI 967: Lithium-Ion Batteries Contained in Equipment

PI 967 applies when the lithium-ion cells or batteries are installed in the equipment they power. Common examples include laptops, tablets, instruments and electronic devices shipped with their batteries fitted in their normal operating position.

PI 967 uses:

• Section I for the higher Wh branch; and
• Section II for cells not exceeding 20 Wh and batteries not exceeding 100 Wh when every condition is met.

Installed configuration can provide physical protection, but it does not remove the dangerous-goods review. The equipment must protect the batteries from damage. It must also be packaged or controlled against accidental activation where the applicable rule requires it. A recessed switch, switch lock, protective cap or packaging that prevents access may be relevant, depending on the equipment and its normal function.

The 2026 IATA guidance strongly recommends that lithium-ion cells and batteries contained in equipment be offered at not more than 30% SoC, or with indicated battery capacity not exceeding 25%. The guidance distinguishes this recommendation from the mandatory baseline applied to the affected PI 966 branches. The article therefore should not tell readers that PI 967 always has the same mandatory 30% rule as PI 966.

Some PI 967 Section II consignments may qualify for a battery-mark exception. The public IATA guidance describes a limited exception for packages containing only button cells installed in equipment, and for consignments of no more than two packages where each package contains no more than four cells or two batteries installed in equipment. These are package- and consignment-level conditions, not a general “equipment needs no battery mark” rule.

If the package or consignment falls outside the exception, the applicable battery mark and air-waybill statement may be required. The shipper should count transport packages, not just retail boxes, and verify the final configuration before printing or removing hazard communication.

How Sections IA, IB, I and II Fit the Three Instructions

The section name follows the packing-instruction family:

• PI 965 → Section IA or Section IB
• PI 966 → Section I or Section II
• PI 967 → Section I or Section II

This is why “Section II battery” is incomplete. It does not identify whether the battery is packed with equipment under PI 966 or contained in equipment under PI 967. Those two configurations can have different packaging, battery-count, activation-protection, marking and document consequences.

Likewise, Section IB is not another name for Section II. Section IB is the smaller-rating standalone-battery branch under PI 965. It remains a regulated dangerous-goods pathway with the associated training, declaration, marks, labels and Cargo Aircraft Only controls identified in the effective rules.

Use the dedicated guide to compare Sections IA, IB, I and II for air shipping. For Task 65, the important point is the order of decisions: configuration identifies PI 965, PI 966 or PI 967; the verified Wh rating and other conditions then determine which section can be considered.

Watt-Hour Rating Selects a Section, Not the Configuration

The 20 Wh cell and 100 Wh battery thresholds are easy to remember, but they are often used too early.

Consider a 72 Wh rechargeable laptop battery:

• shipped without the laptop, it starts with PI 965;
• packed beside the compatible laptop, it starts with PI 966; and
• installed in the laptop, it starts with PI 967.

Its 72 Wh rating does not change among the three examples. The physical relationship changes, so the packing-instruction family changes.

The rating also does not prove Section II eligibility. Under PI 965, the lower-rating branch is Section IB, not Section II. Under PI 966 or PI 967, the lower Wh rating only enters the Section II decision. Battery count, package quantity, test status, condition, packaging and the other section conditions still apply.

If the battery label shows volts and ampere-hours but no Wh value, the basic relationship is Wh = V × Ah. If the capacity is in milliampere-hours, divide by 1,000 before multiplying. The arithmetic is simple; verifying that the voltage and capacity belong to the exact shipped model is the more important control. See the Watt-hour calculation and verification guide.

Packaging, Quantity and Aircraft Pathway Must Be Read Together

The selected PI and section affect several controls at the same time. Treating them as independent checkboxes can produce a package that looks correct while the quantity, document or aircraft plan is wrong.

Review the completed transport package against these questions:

• Are cells and batteries protected from short circuit and damage?
• Are exposed terminals protected by a suitable non-conductive method or by the battery design?
• Are batteries separated from conductive items and secured against movement?
• Does the section require UN Specification packaging, or does it permit another strong rigid outer packaging system under stated conditions?
• For PI 966, are the battery and compatible equipment arranged under a permitted packed-with-equipment method?
• For PI 967, does the equipment give the battery equivalent protection, and is accidental activation controlled?
• Does the completed package meet any applicable drop or stack capability?
• Is battery net quantity within the correct passenger-aircraft or Cargo Aircraft Only column?
• If an overpack is used, are the prepared packages secured and are all required marks and labels visible or reproduced correctly?

The IATA guidance defines the package as the completed product of the packing operation ready to be offered for transport. A retail box, an inner battery carton and an overpack are not interchangeable units. Record which layer is the regulated transport package before applying package quantities or marking exceptions.

Use the dedicated lithium battery air-shipping quantity limits and lithium battery packaging guides for the detailed checks. If prepared packages are combined on a pallet or inside another enclosure, also review the air-shipping overpack requirements.

Marks, Labels and Documents Must Match the Same PI

The battery model, UN entry, proper shipping name, packing instruction, section and aircraft pathway should tell the same story across the package and shipment record.

PI 965 Section IA and Section IB follow regulated declaration and hazard-communication pathways. PI 966 and PI 967 Section I likewise require the fully regulated document treatment for the applicable entry. A shipment meeting every Section II condition may receive specified relief from the Shipper's Declaration requirement, but that does not make the batteries unregulated.

Do not copy package artwork or a declaration line from a prior shipment until the current battery, configuration and section have been verified. Use the detailed guides for lithium battery marks and labels, the Shipper's Declaration and the lithium battery shipping documents checklist.

Power Banks, Spare Batteries and Mixed Kits

Power banks are treated as batteries

IATA's 2026 guidance describes a power bank as a portable unit whose primary function is to supply power to another device. For air-transport classification, it is treated as a battery. A power bank packed with mobile phones is not automatically a PI 966 spare battery.

The IATA guidance example classifies the power banks as UN 3480 under PI 965 while separately considering the installed phone batteries under PI 967. The resulting package must communicate and document all applicable dangerous goods inside. This is a useful reminder that one outer package can contain more than one regulated relationship.

Spare batteries must relate to the equipment

For PI 966, the loose batteries must be intended to power the equipment packed with them. The permitted number is linked to the minimum number required to power the equipment plus the allowed spare sets under the effective instruction. Count batteries per piece of equipment and verify the total battery net quantity; do not add an arbitrary stock of replacement batteries to an equipment carton.

Installed battery plus loose spare

A package containing a device with one installed battery and an additional compatible battery may involve both contained-in-equipment and packed-with-equipment provisions. Do not label the entire package only as PI 967 because one battery is installed, or only as PI 966 because one spare is loose. Have the combined preparation, marks and documents reviewed against every applicable part.

Charging cases and ambiguous products

The classification of a charging case depends on what the product is and how it functions. IATA's public 2026 FAQ treats certain wearable devices shipped in or with a charging case as UN 3481 batteries packed with equipment under PI 966, while the charging case shipped without the earbuds starts as UN 3480 under PI 965. Do not generalize that example to every product called a “case.” Use manufacturer data and a trained classification review.

A Practical PI-Confirmation Workflow

1. Identify each battery and the equipment it powers

List the exact battery and product models. If a kit contains several batteries or devices, map each battery to its intended equipment.

2. Verify test status, Wh and condition

Match the shipped model to the manufacturer or distributor's UN 38.3 test-summary identity. Record Wh per cell and battery. Confirm whether the battery is new, used, returned, damaged, defective, recalled, prototype, low-production, waste or intended for recycling.

3. Freeze the physical configuration

Photograph and describe how the completed package will be tendered. Identify batteries shipped alone, beside compatible equipment and installed in equipment. Recheck after the factory completes final packing.

4. Identify the likely UN entry and PI family

Use chemistry and physical configuration to establish the likely starting point: UN 3480 / PI 965, UN 3481 / PI 966 or UN 3481 / PI 967.

5. Test the proposed section and SoC condition

Apply the verified Wh, battery count and package quantity to the effective instruction. Check the 2026 SoC rule for PI 965 and PI 966 separately from the PI 967 recommendation.

6. Reconcile package, marks and records

Compare the physical package with the invoice, packing list, UN 38.3 identity, marks, labels, Shipper's Declaration or Section II statement, net battery quantity and aircraft plan. Resolve conflicts before airport acceptance.

7. Confirm the route and operator

Check the current edition, addenda, State variations and operator variations. Obtain acceptance for the intended origin, transit, destination and airline. Recheck if the carrier, route, battery model, package or quantity changes.

BAT Logistics can organize customer- and manufacturer-supplied shipment facts, flag visible identity or consistency gaps and coordinate a route-specific air-freight enquiry. The responsible shipper, trained dangerous-goods personnel, relevant authorities and accepting operator retain their respective classification, preparation and acceptance responsibilities.

Common PI 965, PI 966 and PI 967 Errors

Choosing the packing instruction from the product name

“Laptop battery” can describe a standalone replacement battery, a battery packed beside a laptop or a battery installed in a laptop. The physical configuration decides the starting PI.

Choosing the packing instruction from Wh alone

Wh helps select a section after the PI family is identified. It does not distinguish PI 965 from PI 966 or PI 967.

Calling batteries “packed with equipment” because a charger is present

A charger, adaptor or cable is not the equipment that the battery powers. Without the relevant equipment, the batteries remain in the standalone branch.

Treating a power bank as equipment

A power bank's primary function is supplying power, so it is treated as a battery for this classification decision.

Ignoring loose spares in an equipment package

An installed battery and a loose spare do not have the same physical relationship. Both applicable relationships must be reviewed.

Reusing an old PI 966 SoC statement

The PI 966 treatment changed from 1 January 2026. Verify the current edition rather than copying a pre-2026 template.

Treating PI 967 Section II as unregulated

Section II can provide relief from specified provisions only when all conditions are met. The battery remains dangerous goods, and carrier restrictions still apply.

Copying the wrong aircraft column

Passenger-aircraft and Cargo Aircraft Only quantities are separate. PI 965 is forbidden on passenger aircraft under the baseline public flowchart.

Letting records describe different cargo

If the invoice says “equipment,” the package contains loose power banks and the declaration says UN 3481, the shipment record is not coherent. Reconcile the actual contents before booking.

Treating PI selection as airline acceptance

Correctly identifying the likely instruction does not reserve a flight, confirm station capability or override operator variations.

Pre-Enquiry Checklist

Before asking for a lithium-battery air-freight review, prepare:

• battery manufacturer, model and chemistry;
• UN 38.3 test-summary identity for the exact battery or product;
• Wh per cell and battery;
• battery condition and shipment history;
• alone, packed-with or installed relationship for every battery;
• proposed UN entry, PI and section, with the rule source and date;
• battery count, package count and net battery quantity;
• state-of-charge record where applicable;
• packaging description and available capability evidence;
• clear package, battery and label photographs;
• invoice, packing list and dangerous-goods document set;
• pickup point, transit points, destination and intended operator; and
• unresolved approvals, variations or acceptance questions.