Operator & State Variations
IATA DGR establishes minimum standards; however, states and airline operators may impose additional restrictions. Before shipment, both state variations for origin/destination/transit countries and operator variations of the carrying airline must be checked.
State Variations
Additional restrictions based on national legislation. Origin, destination, and all transit countries must be checked. Listed in DGR Section 2.8.
Operator Variations
Additional restrictions based on airline company policies. Cannot be LESS restrictive than DGR, but can be MORE restrictive. Listed in DGR Section 2.8.
Example State Variations
USA
49 CFR additional requirements apply. DOT special provisions applicable for certain substances.
China
Additional restrictions for certain radioactive materials and organic peroxides.
Australia
Special permit requirements for certain biological substances.
Germany
Common EU additional rules and notification requirements.
Japan
Special approval and reporting requirements for radioactive materials.
Turkey
DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation / SHGM) additional requirements.
Example Operator Variations
Turkish Airlines (THY)
- -TK-01: Explosives — only Division 1.4S (non-toxic) accepted, all other explosives PROHIBITED
- -TK-02: Division 2.1 flammable gases — NOT ACCEPTED for carriage
- -TK-03: Division 2.3 toxic gases — NOT ACCEPTED for carriage
- -TK-04: Radioactive materials — limited to max TI 3.0, specific instrument/clinical thermometer purposes only
- -TK-11: UN 3090 (Li-metal) and UN 3480 (Li-ion) batteries as cargo COMPLETELY PROHIBITED
- -TK-12: Certain Class 8 corrosives not accepted (detailed list in DGR 2.8.4)
- -Emergency contact: Turkish Cargo +90 (212) 463 63 00
SunExpress
- -XQ-01: Limited Quantities (Y-PI) NOT ACCEPTED
- -XQ-02: DG not accepted in consolidations (except UN 1845 dry ice, single AWB)
- -XQ-04: Dry ice (UN 1845) max 453 kg net per aircraft
- -XQ-05: Biological substance Category B (UN 3373, PI 650) NOT ACCEPTED
- -XQ-06: Chemical oxygen generators NOT ACCEPTED
- -XQ-07: 24-hour emergency phone mandatory on DGD (with 'Emergency Contact' statement)
Lufthansa / Lufthansa Cargo
- -LH-01: Advance arrangements required — mandatory contact with DG Booking department
- -LH-02/03: Lithium battery restrictions — UN 3480 Section I PROHIBITED, UN 3171 vehicle battery PROHIBITED
- -LH-04/05: UN 3090 (Li-metal) PROHIBITED on PAX aircraft
- -LH-06/07: Additional packaging and labelling requirements for certain substances
Emirates SkyCargo
- -EK-01: 24-hour emergency contact phone mandatory on DGD
- -EK-02: UN 3480 Section I and Section IB PROHIBITED; UN 3481 vehicle battery restrictions
- -EK-03: Used/refurbished lithium batteries NOT ACCEPTED
- -Class 1 explosives generally not accepted
FedEx Express
- -FX-01: Advance arrangements mandatory
- -FX-02/03: Air Freight Service and FedEx Express have different DG acceptance policies
- -FX-04: Class 7 radioactive — limited acceptance, special approval required
- -FX-05+: DOT 31FP certification required, WAM system mandatory
- -Lithium batteries: Detailed Section IA/IB/II distinctions, highly restrictive
Variation Check Steps
- 1. Check state variations for the origin country
- 2. Check state variations for the destination country
- 3. Check state variations for transit country(ies)
- 4. Check operator variations of the carrying airline
- 5. If multiple airlines are used, check each airline's variations separately
- 6. Apply the most restrictive rule