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.