DGR 8.2 — Air Waybill Handling Information & Non-Dangerous Goods Declarations

Air Waybill (AWB) Handling Information & Non-Dangerous Goods Declarations

The Air Waybill (AWB) is the legal contract of carriage between the shipper and the air carrier, serving as the master document for freight handling, tracking, accounting, and aircraft loading. While the Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods (SDDG) provides granular technical data regarding hazardous contents, the Air Waybill provides high-level operational notices to air cargo acceptance staff, warehouse handlers, and ramp personnel.

Under IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) Section 8.2, specific mandatory text entries must be inserted into the "Handling Information" box (or Nature and Quantity of Goods box) of the Air Waybill whenever dangerous goods are offered for transport, whether accompanied by a formal Shipper's Declaration or transported under documentation exemptions.

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Mandatory AWB Endorsements for Declaration-Required Cargo

When a consignment requires a Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods, the Air Waybill must explicitly direct carrier personnel to that attached document.

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| AIR WAYBILL HANDLING INFORMATION BOX                                    |
|                                                                         |
|  Handling Information:                                                  |
|  Dangerous Goods as per attached Shipper's Declaration.                 |
|  Cargo Aircraft Only.                                                   |
|  Emergency Contact: +1-800-555-0199 (Contract #12345)                   |
|                                                                         |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

1. Standard Declaration Attachment Statement

• The AWB Handling Information box MUST contain the exact text: $\text{"Dangerous Goods as per attached Shipper's Declaration"}$ or $\text{"Dangerous Goods as per attached DGD"}$
• This entry alerts carrier acceptance staff that a physical or electronic SDDG accompanies the shipment and must be audited prior to aircraft loading.

2. Cargo Aircraft Only (CAO) Endorsement

• If the dangerous goods are restricted to cargo aircraft (due to quantity limits or substance prohibitions on passenger flights), the AWB Handling Information box MUST ALSO include the statement: $\text{"Cargo Aircraft Only" \quad \text{or} \quad "CAO"}$
• This statement ensures that flight dispatchers and loadmasters route the shipment exclusively onto freighter aircraft.

3. Consolidated Consignments (Master AWB & House AWB)

• In freight forwarder consolidations containing dangerous goods, the Master Air Waybill (MAWB) Handling Information box must state: Dangerous Goods as per attached Shipper's Declaration(s).
• Each House Air Waybill (HAWB) containing dangerous goods must carry individual handling information endorsements.

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Mandatory AWB Entries for Goods NOT Requiring a Shipper's Declaration

Certain dangerous goods commodities are exempted from the requirement to produce a formal Shipper's Declaration under specific DGR provisions. However, to maintain air transport safety, specific mandatory statements must be written directly in the AWB Handling Information or Nature and Quantity of Goods fields.

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"Not Restricted" Declarations for Excluded & Exempted Articles

Air cargo operators inspect thousands of parcels daily. Many commercial items (e.g., non-spillable batteries, dry electronics, specialized cosmetics, environmental samples) closely resemble dangerous goods or bear hazard-like labels. To prevent false alarms, flight delays, or unnecessary cargo rejections, the shipper must provide a formal non-hazardous declaration on the Air Waybill.

EXAMPLE AWB NATURE AND QUANTITY OF GOODS ENTRY:
   3 Boxes Electronic Test Equipment
   "Not Restricted as per Special Provision A67"

1. Purpose of the "Not Restricted" Statement

• The statement certifies that the article has been evaluated by the shipper and determined to be non-hazardous or fully exempt from dangerous goods regulations under a specific IATA Special Provision (SP).

2. Standard Formatting Rules

• The phrase "Not Restricted" must appear on the AWB, followed by the specific Special Provision reference or DGR section number.

3. Key Examples of "Not Restricted" AWB Declarations

Always take the code from Column M of the actual Section 4.2 entry and read the text of that provision in Section 4.4 before writing the endorsement. Quoting a provision that does not appear against the entry — or citing a DGR section number instead of a special provision code — is a standard rejection reason at acceptance.

4. Operator Variations & Airline Requirements

• Several airlines publish operator variations in Subsection 2.9 requiring a "Not Restricted" statement on the AWB whenever the goods description contains a hazard-suggesting word such as "chemical", "battery", "cleaner", or "liquid", even where the substance is entirely non-hazardous. Where such a variation applies, omitting the statement is a valid ground for the carrier to refuse the consignment at acceptance.

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Summary of AWB Handling Information Requirements