What Is IATA DGR?

The IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations manual runs over 1,000 pages. Airlines and ground handlers use it every day to decide whether a shipment flies or stays on the ground. Published annually by IATA and recognized by its 290+ member airlines, the DGR goes beyond the ICAO Technical Instructions -- it adds the operational restrictions that come from decades of hard experience with what actually happens to dangerous goods at 35,000 feet.

The DGR is organized into ten sections: applicability, limitations, classification, identification (UN Numbers and proper shipping names), packing instructions, packaging specifications, marking and labeling, documentation (including the Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods), handling and stowage, and radioactive materials. A trained operator can start with a UN Number and work through the tables to determine whether a substance can fly, under what conditions, and in what packaging. Most of the time, the answer is "yes, but." And it is the "buts" that matter.

The Lithium Battery State-of-Charge Rule That Changed Everything

The biggest story in air DG regulation right now is the 30% state-of-charge (SoC) limit for lithium-ion batteries. Here is how it phased in:

In the 66th edition (2025), IATA recommended that lithium-ion cells and batteries be offered at no more than 30% SoC. A recommendation, not a rule. Many shippers treated it as optional.

In the 67th edition (2026), it became mandatory in specific cases:

• PI 965 Section I (standalone batteries) -- mandatory 30% SoC for batteries exceeding 100 Wh.
• PI 966 Section I (batteries packed with equipment) -- mandatory 30% SoC for batteries exceeding 100 Wh.
• PI 966 Section II (batteries packed with equipment, limited quantities) -- mandatory 30% SoC for cells and batteries exceeding 2.7 Wh.
• PI 952 (battery-powered vehicles under UN 3556/3557/3558) -- mandatory 30% SoC for batteries exceeding 100 Wh, or indicated capacity must not exceed 25%.
• PI 967 (batteries contained in equipment) -- still a strong recommendation, not mandatory.

The exception path exists but is practically a wall: exceeding 30% SoC requires approval from both the State of Origin and the State of the Operator under Special Provision A331. That is two government-level approvals for a single shipment.

The practical impact has been significant. Battery manufacturers now routinely discharge packs before air freight. Logistics providers have added SoC verification to their acceptance checks. The shipper who shows up at the cargo terminal with a fully charged 500 Wh battery is now refused -- no different from showing up with a forbidden explosive.

The 67th edition also brought additional changes: the 3-meter stack test requirement was expanded, sodium-ion batteries (UN 3551/3552) received full regulatory integration including watt-hour marking requirements, and cargo IMP codes for vehicles were restructured (RVB, RVF, RVH, RVO replacing RMD/RLI).

Why Air Is Different From Sea

At sea, if a lithium battery catches fire, the crew fights it. They have CO2 systems. They have fire hoses. They can evacuate if needed.

In the air, none of those options exist. The crew cannot access the cargo hold. Fire suppression is limited. Evacuation is not possible. That is why IATA DGR prohibits substances that IMDG accepts. Class 1 explosives? Mostly forbidden. Low-flash-point flammable liquids? Forbidden. Lithium metal batteries as standalone cargo on passenger aircraft? Forbidden.

The environmental conditions of flight also make things harder. Pressure changes can cause sealed packages to leak. Temperature swings in cargo holds stress packaging differently than shipboard conditions. Vibration at altitude is different from sea-level vibration. The DGR accounts for all of this. The packaging that works for a ship may fail on a plane -- and the DGR's drop tests and pressure differential tests are calibrated accordingly.

The Compliance Trap: Training Expiry

Every person who prepares or handles dangerous goods for air transport must complete IATA-approved training every 24 months. That includes shippers, packers, freight forwarders, and airline acceptance staff. The airline checks this. If the person who signed your Shipper's Declaration has expired training, the shipment is rejected. No negotiation. No waiver. Rejected.

This catches people more often than you would think. The 24-month clock runs from the last day of the month the training was completed. It is easy to lose track. And the rejection typically happens at the airline acceptance desk with the cargo already at the airport. Your options at that point: find someone with current certification to re-sign, or miss the flight.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between IATA DGR and the ICAO Technical Instructions?

The ICAO Technical Instructions are the law -- published by the International Civil Aviation Organization under Annex 18 to the Chicago Convention. The IATA DGR is the industry manual that implements them, published by IATA on behalf of its member airlines. Critically, IATA DGR includes additional restrictions that go beyond ICAO. Because airlines enforce IATA DGR at the acceptance desk, that is what you need to comply with. Relying on the ICAO baseline alone will get your shipment rejected.

Why are some dangerous goods accepted by sea under IMDG but forbidden by air under IATA DGR?

A cargo fire at sea is survivable. A cargo fire in flight is not. That single fact explains virtually every difference between the two regulations. IATA DGR forbids most explosives, certain flammable liquids, and lithium metal batteries on passenger aircraft because there is no scenario in which the crew can manage a fire involving those substances at altitude. The regulatory philosophy is simple: if there is a credible scenario where a substance causes an in-flight emergency the crew cannot handle, it does not fly.

Related Terms

Understanding IATA DGR is easier when you are familiar with these related dangerous goods regulatory concepts:

• IMDG Code -- The sea transport equivalent. Shares the UN classification system but is generally more permissive. If it flies under IATA DGR, it almost certainly sails under IMDG. The reverse is not true.
• UN 3536, Lithium Batteries Installed in Cargo Transport Units -- Under IATA DGR, UN 3536 shipments are subject to detailed SoC and packaging requirements that are updated annually.
• MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) -- The chemical safety document without which correct DG classification under IATA DGR is impossible. Section 14 provides the transport-specific data.