He International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched DG Digital, a new feature within its DG AutoCheck platform designed to fully digitize the creation and approval of carriers’ dangerous goods declarations.
The tool enables digital documentation of more than 3,800 hazardous items, including lithium batteries, chemicals and explosives, helping to streamline loading processes and reduce rejected shipments.
Currently, around 95% of dangerous goods declarations are still submitted on paper, which requires scanning the documents, converting them to PDF and uploading them for validation. DG Digital eliminates this step by allowing declarations to be created, transmitted and validated electronically from the beginning of the process.
The system captures all required information and allows documentation to be shared digitally between carriers, freight forwarders, ground handlers and airlines. By cross-referencing IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, the platform also helps users identify errors or missing data that could otherwise cause shipment delays or rejections.
Testing of the technology was carried out in Japan in 2025 with the participation of airlines such as All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) along with six freight forwarders. The tests resulted in just 0.5% of shipments being rejected, compared to the current global average of around 4.5%.
Since its introduction in 2019, DG AutoCheck has carried out more than one million dangerous goods checks, with more than a third of these completed in 2025 alone, as demand for shipments, particularly for lithium batteries, continues to grow.
Frederic Leger, senior vice president of products and services at IATAsaid: “IATA’s Dangerous Goods Regulations focus on reducing complexity and improving safety in the shipment of dangerous goods. DG Digital supports this by digitizing the carrier declaration process, providing all stakeholders, from shipping agents and freight forwarders to ground handlers and airlines, access to the same document. This supports the rapid resolution of any documentation issues before an item is physically shipped.”
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