The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is urging a layered, risk-based approach throughout the cargo supply chain to tackle the growing risk of dangerous goods that are undeclared, incorrectly declared or deliberately weaponized.
In its newest white paper, “Safety and Security in the Cargo Supply Chain: Prevention, Detection, Management and Resolution of Risks with Dangerous Goods,” IATA states that more than 80% of the reported dangerous goods incidents involve shipments that were not properly declared.
The association says screening alone cannot solve the problem and responsibility for preventing and detecting dangerous goods incidents must be across the supply chain.
The white paper makes it clear that the problem is not the legitimate transportation of dangerous goods. Air cargo routinely carries nine classes of dangerous goods, comprising more than 3,500 substances and articles, under established safety procedures.
“Every day dangerous goods are transported safely by air. The danger is if they are undeclared or wrongly declared on the system. “All parts of the supply chain have a role to play in identifying and stopping such incidents as soon as possible,” said IATA’s Global Head of Cargo Brendan Sullivan.
According to IATA, more than 80% of incidents involve dangerous goods which are hidden or not properly declared. The three main categories are: Undeclared goods, presented as general cargo without a dangerous goods declaration; mis-declared goods, where information is wrong, incomplete, misleading or inaccurate; and weaponized goods, which are intentionally used or modified to cause harm, says the association.
The expanding lithium battery challenge and e-commerce
IATA links the changing risk environment to the rapid growth of e-commerce and the widespread use of lithium batteries in consumer products.
In some cases that were investigated, batteries were not considered dangerous goods as they were seen as simply being components of everyday products.
Another challenge has come from the rapid expansion of online marketplaces. Some consignors may not be sufficiently aware of dangerous goods classifications and the documentation and procedures necessary to ensure safe handling of shipments.
Increasing worry about weaponized cargo
The white paper also discusses the use of dangerous goods as weapons, including improvised incendiary devices (IIDs).
In July 2024, cargo consignments carried consumer electronic devices in which IIDs were concealed. Then there were other incidents, in 2024 and again in 2025.
The report said the devices had been built deliberately to hide their components. The apparent goal was to damage aircraft and disrupt air cargo supply chains.
The incidents highlighted potential gaps and vulnerabilities in the current supply-chain system and in existing national and international aviation security programs, IATA said.
Why screening alone is limited
Some stakeholders and regulators have suggested aviation security screening as the main line of defense against dangerous goods but IATA says the approach has considerable limitations.
The group says that current cargo screening techniques, certification standards, algorithms and training programs were largely developed to identify weapons, explosives and other security threats.
For instance, dangerous goods may not always have a smell that is detectable by explosive-trace systems or trained detection dogs. The existing X-ray equipment may also not be adequately designed, calibrated or certified to detect the latest range of potentially dangerous goods.
Another limitation is the nature of the cargo itself. A large proportion of the world’s air freight is not X-rayed because of its size, shape, weight or density.
IATA also mentions operational constraints which are applicable to all types of screening, either because inspections take time or because some cargo cannot be screened effectively with current techniques.
But the association warned that extending screening without clear priorities, appropriate technology, specialist training and adequate resources could lead to more false alarms, inspections, costs and operational disruption, diverting attention from core security objectives.
A tiered approach shared throughout the supply chain
Instead of more screening, IATA is calling for “a layered, risk-based and supply-chain-wide approach that prevents or identifies unauthorized dangerous goods at the earliest practicable point.”
Under this model, governments and regulators would provide strategic direction, coordinated oversight, harmonized requirements and proportionate enforcement.
At the same time, manufacturers, online marketplaces, retailers, shippers, postal operators, freight forwarders, ground handlers, airports and aircraft operators would each be expected to apply controls commensurate with their responsibilities and exposure to risk.
IATA states a better understanding of the changing threat environment and a forward-looking approach to managing those risks will be essential to the next stage of dangerous goods handling in air transport.
The white paper was a collaborative effort of IATA’s Cargo and Aviation Security teams, in coordination with relevant boards and working groups. This document is for airlines, supply chain partners, governments and regulators.
