The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced on Mar. 12 the launch of DG Digital, a new system designed to fully digitalize Dangerous Goods Declarations in air cargo. The initiative aims to replace the current paper-based process, which accounts for 95% of declarations today, with a streamlined digital workflow.
This development is significant for the air transport industry as it seeks to improve efficiency and safety in handling dangerous goods shipments. By enabling electronic data exchange from shippers to airlines, DG Digital is expected to reduce errors and delays associated with manual paperwork.
DG Digital allows users to capture all required data for Dangerous Goods Declarations and share this information electronically among partners. The system cross-references IATA’s Dangerous Goods Regulations so that users can identify and resolve issues before shipments are sent, helping avoid fines and addressing safety concerns. According to IATA, confirming declarations digitally before physical shipment supports a safer logistics supply chain by standardizing data exchange across stakeholders.
The launch follows successful trials in Japan last year involving All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, and six freight forwarders. During these trials, only 0.5% of dangerous goods shipments were rejected due to declaration issues—a notable improvement over the global average rejection rate of 4.5%. Since its introduction in 2019, IATA’s DG AutoCheck has completed over one million checks on dangerous goods shipments; more than a third occurred in 2025 alone. Data from IATA CargoIS shows a 17.5% year-on-year increase in such shipments for the full year 2025, largely driven by demand for lithium batteries.
“IATA’s Dangerous Goods Regulations are focused on reducing complexity and improving safety in the shipment of dangerous goods. DG Digital supports this by digitalizing the shipper’s 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 issues in the documentation before an item is physically shipped,” said Frederic Leger, IATA’s Senior Vice President, Product & Services.
The International Air Transport Association works to enrich the world through a safe, secure and sustainable air transport industry according to the official website. It includes about 360 member airlines that account for more than 80% of global air traffic according to the official website. The association seeks to represent, lead and serve the airline industry according to its official website. Willie Walsh has served as director general of IATA per the official website. The organization maintains offices worldwide including headquarters in Montreal as indicated on its official website, and engages in global advocacy and partnerships as outlined on its official website.
Looking ahead, IATA expects that wider adoption of DG Digital will further support transparency and efficiency across air cargo operations as demand continues to grow.
