The invisible system that guarantees the safety of dangerous goods in air transport

The cargo hold of an aircraft is an enormous puzzle: boxes, containers, baggage, millions of tonnes of goods crossing the sky every day. But if among all of that there is a single box containing something that should not be there — or something that can be there but which, if mismanaged, could trigger a disaster — the question is: how does anyone know? How is it prevented from happening?

The answer is a global safety system that operates almost invisibly, designed so that we never have to think about that question. Understanding it begins with a definition that appears simple but contains the entire logic of the system.

Context is everything: why a can of hairspray can become a projectile

A deodorant spray in your bathroom is completely harmless. But that same can in an unpressurised cargo hold, subjected to constant vibration, temperature swings from +40 °C to -20 °C, and atmospheric pressure equivalent to the summit of Everest, becomes a pressurised vessel with unpredictable behaviour.

A lithium battery in a mobile phone is perfectly stable. But if it is damaged or overheats in a low-pressure environment, it can ignite with extraordinary violence. The risk lies not only in the object itself, but in the interaction between that object and the conditions of flight. That is why the regulations do not ask whether something is dangerous: they ask whether it could become so.

Who writes the rules: three layers of regulation

To ensure that a warehouse operative in Singapore and a pilot flying over the Atlantic follow exactly the same protocol, the system is organised into three regulatory layers that overlap and reinforce each other:

 

Body	Nature	Role in the system
ICAO	UN intergovernmental body	Drafts the global legal framework — the Technical Instructions that all member states commit to complying with. It is the international minimum standard.
IATA	Private airline association	Takes ICAO's framework and strengthens it with additional requirements based on real operational experience. Its manual is the battle-tested standard used by virtually the entire industry.
States	National authorities (origin, transit, destination)	May impose additional restrictions for their airspace. Golden rule: always apply the most restrictive standard from all those that apply.

 

The relationship between ICAO and IATA illustrates a fascinating principle: the industry imposes stricter rules on itself than governments do, because its own survival — literally — depends on it. IATA did not copy ICAO's regulations: it strengthened them, adding requirements born from practical knowledge of what works and what does not in the real world. It is proactive safety based on experience.

Who is responsible: a network, not a chain

Responsibilities do not form a linear chain — they form a network in which each node has specific, unavoidable obligations:

 

•       The consignor/shipper: the first and most critical link. Must declare the goods, classify them correctly, package them in approved materials, label them, and complete the documentation without a single error. If they make a mistake — or lie to save money — they are putting hundreds of people at risk

•       The operator (airline): the second independent filter. Obliged to inspect the package, review the documentation, and reject any shipment that does not comply with the standards 100 per cent. It cannot trust the consignor blindly. If it accepts the package, responsibility for loading and stowing it correctly transfers to the airline

•       States: each country whose airspace the shipment crosses may impose its own additional restrictions. A package flying from Madrid to Tokyo via Dubai must comply with the regulations of Spain, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates

 

The human factor: three levels of training that make the system work

All the manuals and regulations in the world are worthless if the people involved have not read them, do not understand them, or do not know how to apply them. Training is therefore an obligation — not an option — for all personnel involved in the transport of dangerous goods. And it is not a generic safety briefing: it is specific training, tailored to each function.

 

Level	Description	Who it applies to and what it covers
Level 1	General familiarisation	For all personnel without exception — including administrative staff and cleaning crews. Objective: recognise a hazard label, understand basic risks, and know who to notify. The minimum knowledge everyone must have.
Level 2	Function-specific training	Tailored training by role: those who pack learn about container types and absorbent materials; those who complete documentation study codes and declarations; ramp staff learn to stow and segregate (never place oxidisers next to flammables); pilots learn in-flight emergency procedures.
Level 3	Security training	How to recognise a suspicious package, how to respond to a threat, security protocols against malicious acts. This is the layer that protects the system not only from accidents but from deliberate sabotage.

 

The effectiveness of this training is not theoretical. When undeclared lithium batteries began to overheat in the hold of a flight, a smoke alarm triggered in the cockpit. Thanks to their specific training, the crew immediately identified the affected cargo compartment, activated the localised suppression system, and diverted the aircraft to the nearest airport. That response — built on hours of study and simulation — prevented a catastrophe.