IATA Loading

Dangerous goods must not be carried in passenger aircraft unless allowed by the provisions in 2.3.2 to 2.3.5 and 2.5.1, or excepted radioactive materials described in 10.5.8. Dangerous goods may be carried in the main deck cargo compartment of a passenger aircraft as long as it meets the Class B or Class C certification requirements of aircraft cargo compartments. If a dangerous good is labeled as Cargo Aircraft Only, it must not be carried on a passenger aircraft.

Cargo compartments are classified as A through E, based on the Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Certification Standard.

When packages or overpacks of dangerous goods with Cargo Aircraft Only labels are loaded on cargo aircraft, one of the following provisions must be met:

• The cargo aircraft compartment meets Class C requirements.
• A unit load device is used and is equipped with a fire detection or suppression system equivalent to a Class C cargo aircraft compartment.
• A crew member or authorized person can access and handle the dangerous goods as necessary in the case of an emergency.
• An external carriage is used by helicopter.

Operators are responsible for protecting packages from movement that could cause accidental damage. The packages must be secured in the aircraft and handled appropriately during loading and unloading.

To learn more about IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations visit our IATA DGR Online Training Certification Courses web page.