Materials Prohibited from Air Transport: IATA DGR Class 7 Restrictions

Why This List Matters

Every prohibition on this list represents a shipment that gets rejected at the cargo counter if the shipper did not check in advance. Unlike ground shipping, where most configurations can be accommodated with the right controls, air transport has hard stops — materials and packages that simply cannot go, no matter how well they are prepared.

I worked with a research facility that needed to return a spent Co-60 source to the manufacturer. They had always shipped it by ground, but this time the manufacturer was overseas and the facility wanted to use air to speed up the process. The problem was that the package was a Type B(M) with operational controls specified in the certificate — temperature monitoring during transit. That meant it was forbidden on all aircraft, not just passenger. The facility had already booked the flight and prepared the DGD before anyone thought to check the air eligibility. They ended up shipping by sea, which added three weeks to the timeline. The whole situation could have been avoided by checking the package certificate against the IATA prohibition list before committing to air.

Knowing these prohibitions before you prepare the shipment is critical. It determines whether you need to use ground transport instead, whether you need to restructure the shipment to avoid a prohibition trigger, or whether a special arrangement approval is worth pursuing.

Who Needs to Know This

This guide is essential for:

• Anyone planning to ship radioactive material by air for the first time
• Shippers of sealed sources, irradiators, or high-activity materials that may trigger prohibitions
• Freight forwarders and cargo agents who handle Class 7 acceptance
• Radiation safety officers advising on transport mode selection
• Anyone shipping materials with subsidiary hazards (pyrophoric, toxic, corrosive)

The Three Categories of Air Transport Restrictions

IATA DGR restrictions for Class 7 material fall into three distinct categories, each with different consequences:

Forbidden on All Aircraft

The following are prohibited from transport on any aircraft — passenger or cargo (IATA DGR §10.2.1 and §10.9.3.3.4):

1. Vented Type B(M) Packages

A vented Type B(M) package is a Type B(M) package designed to periodically release gas or vapor from the contents to prevent pressure buildup. The venting mechanism means the package cannot maintain full containment under all conditions — which is acceptable for ground transport with operational controls, but not for the unpressurized, variable-temperature conditions of an aircraft cargo hold.

Non-vented Type B(M) packages are allowed on cargo aircraft (but not passenger).

2. Packages Requiring External Cooling

Any package that requires an ancillary cooling system to maintain safe temperature is prohibited. In flight, there is no way to guarantee continuous cooling. If the cooling system fails, the package could exceed thermal safety limits. Ground transport can accommodate cooling systems with monitoring and intervention capability; air transport cannot.

3. Packages Subject to Operational Controls During Transport

Some ground shipments are authorized with specific operational controls — monitoring requirements, route restrictions, speed limits, or other conditions that require active management during transport. These are incompatible with air transport, where the cargo is inaccessible during flight and the crew cannot perform package-specific monitoring or intervention.

4. Explosive Radioactive Material

Radioactive material with explosive properties is forbidden on aircraft (IATA DGR §10.2.1). This is an absolute prohibition with no exceptions.

5. Pyrophoric Liquid Radioactive Material

A pyrophoric liquid — one that ignites spontaneously on contact with air — is forbidden on all aircraft (IATA DGR §10.2.1). The risk of ignition in the event of package damage during transport is unacceptable in a pressurized aircraft environment.

For most RAM shippers, these all-aircraft prohibitions are edge cases that they will never encounter in routine operations. Vented Type B(M) packages, pyrophoric radioactive liquids, and packages requiring external cooling are specialized items that come up in nuclear fuel cycle operations, research reactor work, and high-level waste management — not in the day-to-day shipping of sealed sources, medical isotopes, or instruments. That being said, the “operational controls during transport” prohibition catches people off guard because it is less obvious. If your Type B package certificate includes conditions like temperature monitoring, route restrictions, or speed limits, those count as operational controls and the package cannot fly. Always check the package certificate, not just the package type.

Forbidden on Passenger Aircraft Only

The following are prohibited on passenger aircraft but allowed on cargo aircraft (IATA DGR §10.9.3.3.2):

1. Type B(M) Packages (Non-Vented)

Type B(M) — “multilateral approval” — packages require approval from the competent authority of every country through which the package transits. Unlike Type B(U) (“unilateral approval”), which only needs approval from the country of origin, Type B(M) packages have additional operational requirements that the IATA DGR considers incompatible with passenger aircraft operations.

Type B(U) packages are allowed on passenger aircraft, provided they meet all other requirements (TI ≤ 3.0, surface dose rate ≤ 2 mSv/h).

2. Consignments Under Exclusive Use

Exclusive use means the shipper has sole use of the aircraft or vehicle and has full control over loading, stowage, and unloading. On the ground, exclusive use allows relaxed TI limits and higher dose rates at the vehicle surface. By air, exclusive use is only available on cargo aircraft — it cannot be applied to passenger flights.

This restriction makes sense operationally: a passenger aircraft cannot be exclusively allocated to a single radioactive material shipper.

Yes, this happens. Ground shippers who are accustomed to exclusive use — where you get relaxed TI limits and higher surface dose rates because you have sole use of the vehicle — sometimes assume the same provisions apply to air. They request “exclusive use” for a passenger flight, not realizing that exclusive use is only available on cargo aircraft. The concept does not translate to passenger service because you cannot exclusively allocate a passenger aircraft to a hazmat shipper. I have seen shippers prepare DGDs with exclusive use provisions and then get told at acceptance that they need to rebook on a cargo service. If you need exclusive use benefits by air, it must be cargo-only.

Special Arrangement Required

Surface Dose Rate Exceeding 2 mSv/h

Packages or overpacks with a surface dose rate greater than 2 mSv/h must not be transported by air except by special arrangement (IATA DGR §10.9.3.3.1). This is not an outright prohibition — it is a gatekeeping requirement that demands formal competent authority approval before the shipment can proceed.

In practice, most radioactive shipments stay well below the 2 mSv/h limit. This restriction typically only affects high-activity sealed sources in Type B packages where shielding constraints push the surface dose rate near or above the threshold.

What Is a Special Arrangement?

A special arrangement (IATA DGR §10.0.4) is a formal approval from the competent authority that allows transport of radioactive material that does not fully meet standard DGR requirements. Key points:

• The competent authority must be satisfied that equivalent safety is achieved through alternative means
• Each shipment (or planned series of shipments) requires multilateral approval — approval from every competent authority along the route
• Allow significant lead time — the approval process can take weeks or months
• Special arrangement shipments also trigger advance notification requirements (IATA DGR §10.10.2.3)

I have not personally managed a special arrangement for air transport, and that tells you something about how rare they are. I have spoken with colleagues who have been involved in one, and the consistent feedback is that it is a multi-month process. You need to apply to the competent authority of every country along the route, demonstrate equivalent safety, and provide detailed documentation of your alternative measures. One colleague described it as “writing a safety case from scratch for a single shipment.” For most shippers, by the time you have gone through a special arrangement process, you could have shipped by ground or sea several times over. It is truly a last resort for situations where no other transport mode is feasible and the shipment is critical.

Complete Prohibition Reference Table

*Pyrophoric radioactive material by ground requires subsidiary hazard classification and additional DOT provisions.

What to Do If Your Material Is Prohibited

If your radioactive material or package configuration triggers a prohibition, you have several options:

Option 1: Ship by Ground

DOT 49 CFR allows all of the configurations that IATA prohibits. If time permits, ground transport may be the simplest solution. All the items forbidden on aircraft — vented B(M), external cooling, operational controls, exclusive use — are legal by ground with appropriate controls.

Option 2: Ship by Sea (IMDG Code)

For international shipments where ground is not feasible, sea transport under the IMDG Code is another option. The IMDG Code has its own Class 7 requirements but generally allows more configurations than air.

Option 3: Restructure the Shipment

In some cases, you can restructure the shipment to avoid triggering a prohibition:

• TI > 3.0 on passenger aircraft? → Add shielding to reduce TI below 3.0, or switch to cargo-only service
• Surface dose rate > 2 mSv/h? → Use additional shielding or overpacking to reduce the surface dose rate
• Type B(M)? → If a B(U)-certified package exists for the same contents, consider switching

Option 4: Special Arrangement

For situations where no other option exists, a special arrangement under IATA DGR §10.0.4 may be pursued. This is a last resort due to the complexity and timeline involved (multilateral competent authority approval, advance notifications, documentation).

Ground transport is far and away the most common fallback. If a shipment is prohibited from air, most domestic shippers just put it on a truck. The timeline is longer, but the regulatory path is straightforward and the material is already classified. For international shipments where ground is not an option, sea freight is the next choice. Restructuring the shipment — adding shielding to reduce TI, switching to a B(U) package — is something I see occasionally, but it requires advance planning and is not something you can do on the day of shipment. Special arrangement is almost never the answer for routine commercial shipments. My advice: if you know a shipment might need to go by air, check the prohibition list first and have a ground backup plan ready.

Subsidiary Hazards: Additional Restrictions

Radioactive material with subsidiary hazards — such as Class 6.1 (Toxic) or Class 8 (Corrosive) — must comply with all applicable provisions for both the radioactive and subsidiary hazard classifications (IATA DGR §10.0.5). This is particularly relevant for UF6 (UN2977/UN2978), which carries:

• Class 7 (Radioactive) as the primary hazard
• Class 6.1 (Toxic) as a subsidiary hazard
• Class 8 (Corrosive) as a subsidiary hazard

The subsidiary hazard provisions may impose additional restrictions beyond the Class 7 requirements. Check the full DGR requirements for the subsidiary class when shipping materials with multiple hazards.

For most Class 7 shippers, subsidiary hazards are not a daily concern. UF6 is the primary example everyone thinks of, and rightfully so — it carries three hazard classes in one package. But in my experience, the one that catches people off guard more often is corrosive subsidiary hazards on certain radioactive solutions. If you are shipping a liquid source in an acidic or caustic solution, that corrosive subsidiary hazard triggers its own set of air transport requirements on top of the Class 7 rules. Most shippers who deal with sealed sources and instruments never encounter this, but anyone shipping liquid radioactive material should check whether the chemical form triggers a subsidiary hazard.

How RadShip.com Helps

RadShip.com helps you identify potential air transport issues during classification:

• RAMcalc — Classifies your material and determines the correct UN number and package type, so you know immediately whether you are in Type B(M) territory (cargo-only) or Type B(U) (passenger-eligible)
• Regulatory Guides — This guide and our complete IATA air shipping series help you understand what can and cannot fly
• LabelCalc — Helps determine your label category from your dose rate survey results, which affects aircraft eligibility

Here's the reality: a prohibition discovered at the cargo counter is the most expensive kind of mistake. You have already prepared the package, completed the DGD, arranged pickup, and possibly booked a time-sensitive flight. Now the airline tells you it cannot fly. You are out the booking costs, your delivery window is missed, and you need to scramble for an alternative. If you catch the prohibition during classification — before any of that work happens — you simply choose the right transport mode from the start. Five minutes with the prohibition list saves days of recovery. This is especially critical for medical isotopes and time-sensitive calibration sources where delays have downstream consequences well beyond the shipping department.

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Common Questions

What radioactive materials cannot be shipped by air at all?

Five categories are forbidden on all aircraft: vented Type B(M) packages, packages requiring external cooling, packages subject to operational controls, explosive radioactive material, and pyrophoric liquid radioactive material. These are specified in IATA DGR §10.2.1 and §10.9.3.3.4.

Can Type B(M) packages be shipped by air?

Non-vented Type B(M): yes, but cargo aircraft only. Vented Type B(M): no, forbidden on all aircraft. The key distinction is vented vs non-vented. Type B(U) packages are allowed on both passenger and cargo aircraft.

What happens if my surface dose rate exceeds 2 mSv/h?

Special arrangement required. This is not an outright prohibition, but it requires formal competent authority approval with multilateral sign-off. Consider adding shielding to reduce the surface dose rate below 2 mSv/h if possible — it avoids a complex approval process.

What is a special arrangement?

A formal approval to ship outside standard DGR requirements. It requires demonstrating that equivalent safety is achieved through alternative means. Each shipment needs multilateral approval from all competent authorities along the route. The process can take weeks to months.

Are there alternatives if my material is prohibited from air?

Yes. Ground transport under DOT 49 CFR, sea transport under the IMDG Code, restructuring the shipment to avoid the prohibition trigger, or pursuing a special arrangement. Ground transport is the most common fallback and allows all configurations that are prohibited by air.

The single most important thing is to check whether your package type and configuration are even eligible for air before you do anything else. Not the TI, not the DGD, not the carrier — first, confirm that your specific package and material combination is not on the prohibition list. That takes two minutes with the table in this guide. Once you have confirmed air eligibility, everything else is details you can work through. But if you skip this step and start preparing the shipment, you risk wasting hours of work on a shipment that was never going to fly. Start with the prohibitions, then move to aircraft type, then to documentation. In that order.

Summary: Your Prohibition Screening Checklist

Before committing to air transport for radioactive material, screen for these prohibitions:

• ☐ Package is NOT vented Type B(M)
• ☐ Package does NOT require external cooling
• ☐ Package is NOT subject to operational controls during transport
• ☐ Contents are NOT explosive
• ☐ Contents are NOT pyrophoric liquid
• ☐ If passenger aircraft needed: package is NOT Type B(M) and shipment is NOT exclusive use
• ☐ Surface dose rate is ≤ 2 mSv/h (otherwise special arrangement required)
• ☐ TI per package is ≤ 3.0 (passenger) or ≤ 10.0 (cargo)
• ☐ Any subsidiary hazards have been checked against their own air transport restrictions
• ☐ Carrier has been contacted and will accept Class 7 material (operator variations checked)

Regulatory References

IATA DGR (Air Transport):

• IATA DGR §10.2.1 — Radioactive material forbidden unless exempted
• IATA DGR §10.9.3.3 — Loading limitations (all prohibitions)
• IATA DGR §10.9.3.3.1 — Surface dose rate > 2 mSv/h (special arrangement)
• IATA DGR §10.9.3.3.2 — Type B(M) and exclusive use on passenger aircraft
• IATA DGR §10.9.3.3.4 — Vented B(M), external cooling, operational controls, pyrophoric
• IATA DGR §10.0.4 — Special arrangement provisions
• IATA DGR §10.0.5 — Radioactive materials with subsidiary hazards
• Purchase the IATA DGR

DOT Requirements (Ground Comparison):

• 49 CFR Part 173, Subpart I — Class 7 requirements (allows all configurations prohibited by air)
• 49 CFR 173.441 — Radiation level limitations (ground)