What's New in the 2024 IATA DGR?

A list of significant changes in the 2024 IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) is available now for hazmat/DG air shippers, cargo agents, carriers, and other stakeholders to review. The 2024 IATA DGR will be the 65th edition of the manual, which contains standardize rules for shippers who offer hazmat for air transportation with most of the world's major air carriers.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) releases a list of significant changes to the new DGR every year before it's published. Revised regulations take effect every January 1. 

The 2024 IATA DGR is available for pre-order now. Details here.

Significant changes to the 2024 IATA DGR take effect on 01/01/2024 and include:  

• For non-refillable cylinders containing a flammable gas (5.2.0.9), adding a water capacity limit. 

• Revising IATA Packing Instruction 954 (PI 954), for dry ice, to clarify the rules for marking overpacks containing dry ice. A corresponding change appears in Section 7.1.7 (Marking of Overpacks). More about shipping dry ice. 

• Adding a reference to "equipment" to IATA PI 952 

• Clarifying the requirements and format for UN specification marks on DG packages. 

• Adding a note to the Documentation section (8) to "reinforce that there is no requirement for the type, number and net quantity in inner packagings within the outer packaging of a combination packaging to be shown" on the Shippers' Declaration. 

• Updates to state and operator variations, as well as limitations on DG carried by airline passengers or crew in Section 2. 

• For radioactive materials with a subsidiary hazard, adding more examples of how to format/sequence the information entered on a Shipper's Declaration. 

(Full List) Significant Changes to the 2024 IATA DGR.

Looking Forward: Changes to the 2025 IATA DGR 

Compared to the changes made in other recent IATA DGR editions, the list for 2024 is mercifully brief—especially for shippers of lithium batteries. Already, IATA has a more robust list of revisions planned for 2025. Appendix H of the DGR—which previously housed the guidelines for IATA's competency-training and assessment (CBTA) framework—now comprises a preview of changes that will take effect on January 1, 2025.

Impending changes in Appendix H are based on revisions to the UN Model Regulations and the ICAO Technical Instructions (TI).

Changes to the DGR for 2025 include extensive changes related to shipping lithium batteries, as well as the addition of classification criteria and a new DG List entry for sodium ion batteries (UN 3551), sodium ion batteries shipped in equipment, and sodium ion batteries shipped with equipment. IATA is also adding battery-related entries on the DG List for vehicles powered by a lithium ion, lithium metal, or sodium ion battery. 

In addition, as of January 1, 2025, the "lithium battery mark" will be referred to as the "battery mark." Keep your eye on Lion News this year (and make sure you are subscribed!) for more details on new and revised regulations impacting hazardous materials/DG air shippers in 2024—and beyond. 

Tags: hazmat air shipping, IATA, IATA DGR