Dangerous goods by air
under IATA DGR
Dangerous goods move by air strictly under the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations: every substance has a UN number, hazard class, packing instruction and per-package quantity limit — separately for passenger and cargo aircraft. A mistake in any of these means refusal at acceptance or offloading.
The most common case is lithium batteries. Batteries shipped on their own (UN 3480, PI 965) fly on cargo aircraft only at no more than 30% state of charge; batteries in or packed with equipment (UN 3481, PI 966–967) follow lighter rules. The DGR is updated every year, so we check requirements against the current edition and the specific carrier.
Specification
Specification · Dangerous goods by air. Standard terms · carriage is confirmed after the cargo is classified
Service
- Cargo
- dangerous goods permitted by air under IATA DGR
- Aircraft
- passenger or cargo aircraft only (CAO)
- Options
- UN packaging, repacking, dry ice
Terms
- Timing
- +2–5 days vs standard air for preparation
- Documents
- classification and Shipper's Declaration included
- Currency
- USD / RUB
Logistics
- Before departure
- classification, approval, packaging
- Departure
- acceptance per DG checklist
- After
- customs, delivery under ADR
Price
- Base
- rate per chargeable kg + carrier's DG fee
- Extras
- packaging, 鉴定报告 report, labels — on request
Service flow
- 01
Classification
From the MSDS we determine the UN number, class, packing group and instruction, and check whether the cargo may fly on passenger aircraft or cargo aircraft only (CAO), plus per-package limits.
1 day - 02
Airline approval
We find a carrier that accepts the class on the route and obtain acceptance approval before booking.
1–2 days - 03
Packaging and documents
UN-certified packaging, hazard and handling labels, the 鉴定报告 report for departures from China, Shipper's Declaration.
2–5 days - 04
Acceptance and departure
Before tender we check the cargo against the DG acceptance checklist, deliver it to the terminal and monitor loading.
1 day - 05
Customs and delivery
Customs clearance at the arrival airport and delivery under ADR by vehicles approved for dangerous goods.
1–3 days
Problems
Cargo with batteries or chemicals was shipped as general cargo — screening caught it, it was offloaded and returned to the shipper.
Before booking we request the MSDS and product composition and classify the cargo, even if the supplier calls it non-hazardous.
The airline refused acceptance: wrong packaging specification, a missing label or an error in the Shipper's Declaration.
We check every package against the DG acceptance checklist before tender; the declaration is prepared by DGR-trained staff.
The cargo is cargo-aircraft-only (CAO), but only passenger flights serve the route.
We route via freighter services; if the cargo cannot fly, we offer sea or rail transport under IMDG or the SMGS dangerous goods rules (Annex 2).
Documents
Dangerous goods are accepted for air transport only with a complete document set. The key one is the MSDS with its transport section: it gives the UN number, class and packing instruction. Without an MSDS the cargo cannot be classified.
Incoterms
- FCA
- the seller hands over the cargo already packed and marked per DGR
- CPT
- the seller handles DG paperwork and freight to the destination airport
- EXW
- risky for DG: hard to get MSDS and packaging without the supplier's help
Documents
- MSDS / SDS
- safety data sheet with section 14 (transport information)
- Shipper's Declaration
- Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods in IATA format
- UN 38.3 report
- test summary for lithium batteries
- Safety report (鉴定报告)
- for departures from China — an accredited lab's report on air transport conditions
- Invoice and Packing List
- with UN numbers and the DG quantity per package
FAQ
Most of classes 2–9 — gases and aerosols, flammable liquids and solids, oxidisers, toxic and corrosive substances, lithium batteries and other class 9 goods — within IATA DGR limits and packaging. Class 1 explosives are largely forbidden (except some of division 1.4S), class 7 radioactive material follows special rules. What cannot fly we move by sea or rail.
First determine the type: lithium-ion or lithium-metal, shipped alone, packed with or contained in equipment — that gives UN 3480/3481 or UN 3090/3091 and packing instructions PI 965–970. Stand-alone batteries fly cargo aircraft only (CAO), lithium-ion at no more than 30% state of charge. A UN 38.3 test summary, packaging and marking per the instruction are mandatory, and for departures from China a 鉴定报告 report.
The declaration is signed by the shipper and must be prepared by a DGR-trained person. Our certified staff prepare it: we classify the cargo, choose packaging and labels and complete the declaration so the airline accepts the cargo first time.
CAO (Cargo Aircraft Only) is a DGR label and requirement: the cargo is allowed on freighters only. This happens when the quantity per package exceeds the passenger aircraft limit or the item is forbidden on passenger aircraft altogether, such as stand-alone lithium-ion batteries. We ship such cargo on freighter flights.
Preparation usually adds 2–5 days: classification, airline approval, packaging, the Chinese safety report. The flight itself takes the same time, but there are fewer flight options — not every carrier accepts every class. With the MSDS and cargo data available upfront, the lead time shrinks noticeably.