International Requirements

An overview of the international requirements for the carriage of dangerous goods by air is given in this summary. 

UK Requirements

The UK legal requirements for the carriage of dangerous goods by air are contained within the Air Navigation (Dangerous Goods) Regulations (AN(DG)Rs). These are applicable to all aircraft registered in the UK and all foreign registered aircraft operating within UK airspace.

The AN(DG)Rs require that dangerous goods be carried in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Doc 9284 "Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air". There are also several Addenda to the Technical Instructions.

CAP 675 - "Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air" is a comprehensive source of information for flight crew and provides guidance on the following topics:

• Limitations and Exclusions
• Definitions of Dangerous Goods
• Classes of Dangerous Goods
• List of Dangerous Goods
• Packing
• Marking and Labelling of Packages
• Documentation
• Acceptance for Transport
• Loading and Stowage
• Information in Emergencies

CAP 668 - "Transport by Air of Dangerous Goods, Munitions of War, Sporting Weapons and Animals" is also a comprehensive source of information.

Responsibilities

The AN(DG)Rs place responsibility for the safe carriage of dangerous goods on all parties involved in the transportation. This is inclusive of passengers, shippers, freight forwarders, aircraft operators and couriers.

Aircraft operators must obtain an approval from the CAA prior to the carriage of dangerous goods.