Dangerous goods are articles or substances that are capable of posing significant risk to health, safety or property when transported by air. There are many everyday items which that seem harmless but can be a threat to the safety of passengers and crew when they are brought on an aircraft. Hence they are forbidden to be carried by passengers either in the aircraft cabin or their baggage.
Examples of dangerous goods are fireworks, flares, camping gas, lighter fluid, bleach, pesticides, car batteries, mercury, paints, biological specimens etc. These dangerous goods have specific shipping and packing requirements which are detailed in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Technical Instructions for the Safe Transportation of Dangerous Goods by Air (“ICAO Technical Instructions”).
ICAO has classified dangerous goods into 9 classes as follows:
In addition to dangerous goods, there are also restrictions on the volume of liquids, aerosols, gels and pastes that can be carried on international flights.
The air operator reserves the right to refuse to carry any of the above items on board its aircraft.
Batteries are flammable articles, and it is therefore important to take the necessary precautions when packing them: