The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched DG Digital, a new feature within its DG AutoCheck platform designed to fully digitalise the creation and approval of shippers’ dangerous goods declarations.
The tool enables digital documentation for more than 3,800 hazardous items, including lithium batteries, chemicals and explosives, helping to streamline cargo processes and reduce rejected shipments.
Currently, around 95% of dangerous goods declarations are still submitted on paper, requiring documents to be scanned, converted into PDFs and uploaded for validation. DG Digital removes this step by allowing declarations to be created, transmitted and validated electronically from the start of the process.
The system captures all required information and allows documentation to be shared digitally between shippers, freight forwarders, ground handlers and airlines. By cross-referencing IATA’s Dangerous Goods Regulations, the platform also helps users identify errors or missing data that could otherwise cause shipment delays or rejections.
Trials of the technology were conducted in Japan in 2025 with participation from airlines including All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) alongside six freight forwarders. The tests resulted in only 0.5% of shipments being rejected, compared with 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 those completed in 2025 alone as demand for shipments - particularly lithium batteries - continues to grow.
Frederic Leger, senior vice president of product and services at IATA, said: “IATA’s Dangerous Goods Regulations are focused on reducing complexity and improving safety in the shipment of dangerous goods. DG Digital supports this by digitalising 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.”
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