The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called for stronger and more coordinated action across the air cargo supply chain to address growing risks posed by undeclared and misdeclared dangerous goods. This call comes amid discussions among aviation regulators on the role of existing cargo security screening systems in preventing dangerous goods from entering the air transport system. IATA emphasized that while security screening provides an important layer of protection, it is not designed to serve as the primary solution for detecting the full range of dangerous goods.
IATA acknowledged that well-established Dangerous Goods Regulations provide a framework for the safe transportation of hazardous commodities by air. However, data reported to the association showed that about 80 percent of dangerous-goods incidents recorded in the first half of 2025 involved goods that were either undeclared or hidden. Lithium batteries and other concealed hazardous commodities, including undeclared e-cigarettes and aerosols, were among the products most commonly identified in the incidents.
IATA’s Global Head of Cargo, Brendan Sullivan, stressed that the fundamental risk was created when dangerous goods entered the aviation system without being properly declared or were incorrectly declared. He said, "Dangerous goods are transported safely by air every day. The risk comes when they enter the system undeclared or incorrectly declared." Sullivan emphasized that responsibility for mitigating the risk should extend across the entire cargo supply chain, rather than being left primarily to airport security screening.
Sullivan noted that security screening is primarily focused on terrorism-related threats and represents only one layer of protection against rogue shippers. He added that a comprehensive multi-layer approach beginning as far upstream in the supply chain as possible is essential. Existing cargo security screening systems were developed principally to detect explosives and other aviation security threats, rather than the broader spectrum of dangerous goods covered by aviation safety regulations.
In its white paper, Safety and Security in the Cargo Supply Chain, IATA called for a multi-layered approach involving all major stakeholders, beginning from the point where products are manufactured and sold. The association urged governments to strengthen oversight and enforcement of dangerous-goods requirements throughout the cargo supply chain. IATA also called on manufacturers and online marketplaces to ensure that dangerous goods are correctly identified and certified where required.
IATA recommended stronger training and acceptance controls for shippers, freight forwarders, and postal operators, alongside greater use of customer and shipment data to identify higher-risk cargo before it reaches the airport. Airlines and ground handlers should strengthen their checks before cargo is accepted and loaded onto aircraft. IATA further called on airports to improve coordination and information sharing among members of the cargo community.
The association’s position effectively places greater emphasis on upstream risk identification, with manufacturers, e-commerce platforms, shippers, and other cargo intermediaries expected to prevent hazardous goods from entering the aviation supply chain without the required declaration and documentation. This approach would complement existing aviation security screening and dangerous-goods controls, creating multiple layers of protection from the point of manufacture or sale through to aircraft loading.
Key points
- IATA calls for stronger action against undeclared dangerous goods in air cargo
- 80% of 2025 dangerous-goods incidents involved undeclared or hidden goods
- IATA urges multi-layered approach to prevent hazardous goods from entering air transport system
