IATA DGR
The IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) is the field manual published by the International Air Transport Association governing the safe transport of dangerous goods by air. It is updated annually (new edition each January) and aligns with the ICAO Technical Instructions, the international standard for air DG.
The DGR provides shippers, freight forwarders, ground handlers, and airlines with the rules they must follow: classification, packing instructions, marking and labelling, documentation (the Shipper's Declaration), and handling. Each UN number has a specific packing instruction that dictates allowed packaging, quantity per package, and special provisions.
Compliance with IATA DGR is mandatory for all DG shipments on IATA member airlines — about 290 carriers worldwide. Personnel involved in DG acceptance and handling must hold recurrent DG training certifications, typically renewed every 2 years.
The IATA DGR is the airline industry's rulebook for flying dangerous goods — the annually-updated manual that turns the UN model regulations into the exact packing, marking, documentation and training rules every air hazmat shipment must follow. Get it wrong and the shipment is rejected at acceptance, or worse.
DG rules
& packing
staff
How often is the IATA DGR updated?
Annually — a new edition is published each January, aligned with the ICAO Technical Instructions, so shippers and handlers must always work from the current edition.
Is the IATA DGR the same as the IMDG Code?
No. The DGR governs dangerous goods by air; the IMDG Code governs them by sea. Both derive from the UN model regulations but differ in detail.