IATA innovates dangerous goods handling

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched the Dangerous Goods AutoCheck (DG AutoCheck) an innovative new solution for the air cargo industry that will enhance safety and improve efficiency in the transport of dangerous goods by air and support the industry’s goal of a fully digitized supply chain.
DG AutoCheck is a digital solution that allows the air cargo supply chain to check the compliance of the Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods (DGD) against all relevant rules and regulations contained in the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.
The tool enables electronic consignment data to be received directly, supporting the digitization of the cargo supply chain.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology also transforms a paper DGD into electronic data.
This data is then processed and verified automatically using the XML data version of the DGR. DG AutoCheck also facilitates a ground handlers or airline’s decision to accept or reject a shipment during the physical inspection stage by providing a pictorial representation of the package with the marking and labelling required for air transport.
IATA’s senior vice president, airport, passenger, cargo and security, Nick Careen, described the innovation as a “significant step.”
“The air transport industry handles in excess of 1.25 million dangerous goods shipments transported per year. With the air cargo growth forecast at 4.9% per year over the next five years this number will rise significantly. To ensure that air cargo is ready to benefit from this growth the industry needs to adopt modern and harmonized standards that facilitate safe, secure and efficient operations, particularly in relation to carriage of dangerous goods. DG AutoCheck is a significant step towards achieving this goal,” he said.
Similarly, the association’s assistant director, cargo safety and standards, David Brennan, described the DG AutoCheck as a “giant step forward.”