Air Transport Dangerous Goods Prohibitions: Why Some Products Never Leave the Ground

Aviation safety draws a hard line

Air networks move quickly, predictably, and at premium rates. They also impose some of the strictest limits on hazardous materials in any transportation mode. Air transport dangerous goods prohibitions exist because the margin for error at altitude is effectively zero. A fire, leak, or pressure event that a truck driver could pull over and address becomes a life-threatening emergency on a cargo aircraft, and a catastrophic one on a passenger plane.

These prohibitions come from the Hazardous Materials Regulations in 49 CFR Parts 171 through 180, from FAA rules, and from the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations that airlines use as their operational playbook. For a scaling brand, these rules quietly determine which SKUs can ship as express and which can never fly under any circumstances.

Why air rules differ from ground rules

Air transport is governed by stricter standards because of pressure changes, limited firefighting capabilities, and the higher consequences of failure at altitude. Items that are relatively safe on the ground become too risky in an aircraft environment. That includes certain flammable liquids, corrosives, toxic gases, volatile aerosols, and many lithium battery configurations.

Director of Vendor Operations Kay Hillmann sees this every day. "We are certified in all hazardous materials. We were looking at a matches company, that is a hazardous material. We ship concrete sealant, that is hazardous, a different classification. Paint, your everyday paint you get from a home center, that is hazardous material. Flammables, like gas power generators, that is hazardous material. Perfumes, alcohol." Some versions of these products may fly under narrow exceptions, but many fall under outright prohibitions.

Prohibited outright versus forbidden in certain quantities

Air transport rules fall into two buckets: materials that are prohibited entirely, and materials that are allowed only under tightly restricted quantities, packaging, or carrier acceptance conditions. Lithium batteries above certain watt-hour limits, unstable or reactive chemicals, and materials prone to thermal runaway often sit in the forbidden category.

Chief Revenue Officer John Pistone highlights the battery category. "If you have a lithium ion battery that is greater than 300 watt hours, it is considered fully regulated. That means there is special packaging that it has to have. Everybody who touches it has to be certified." Fully regulated batteries are often subject to cargo-aircraft-only restrictions or complete air prohibitions, depending on how they are packed or paired with equipment.

Why labels and documentation matter even more by air

Air carriers rely heavily on markings, labels, and declarations to determine whether a package is allowed in their network. A missing label can cause a compliant shipment to be rejected. A wrong label can cause a prohibited shipment to enter the air system. Either outcome creates delays, compliance exposure, and potential regulatory action.

VP of Customer Experience Joel Malmquist connects this to customer expectations. "With an up and coming business, I am going to ask you questions. What channels are you trying to get into. How do you see your business growing. How can we help you get there." If a SKU cannot fly, the brand has to reflect that reality in both its listings and its promised delivery windows.

WMS and routing logic decide whether the rules work

Air transport prohibitions cannot live in tribal knowledge or training binders. They must reside inside the warehouse management system and the carrier routing logic. If a SKU is air prohibited but the system allows an air service to be chosen, someone eventually discovers the mistake at a carrier terminal. By then, the shipment is late, the customer is annoyed, and the brand absorbs the cost.

CTO and COO Bryan Wright explains the difference between good and bad systems. "A bad WMS system will not track inventory 100 percent, as it should. A good WMS tracks inventory through the warehouse at every point that you touch it." When that WMS also stores air prohibitions, packing instructions, and service restrictions, the system becomes the first line of compliance rather than the last line of defense.

How peak volume exposes weak processes

During peak season, mistakes multiply. Promotions on aerosols, solvents, and battery-powered goods can flood order queues. If staff are moving quickly, the risk of accidentally assigning an air service increases.

Director of Operations Holly Woods explains how G10 prepares for surge periods. "We have very intensive planning as we get close to a peak timeframe. We run forecast models, staffing models, and we audit inventory, equipment. All of these preparations happen ahead of season just to ensure that we can handle anything that comes our way." That preparation includes verifying that no air-restricted SKUs slip through system filters or get packed under incorrect labels.

Returns complicate everything

Air prohibitions also apply in reverse logistics. A damaged aerosol, leaking solvent, or swollen lithium battery is even more restricted on the return trip than during outbound shipping. Many carriers will not fly returns that contain or may contain prohibited hazmat. That forces ground routing, slower timelines, and clear instructions to customers.

Director of Operations and Projects Maureen Milligan emphasizes the role of feedback. "Just because you happen to work in a warehouse does not mean that your idea is not valid." When frontline staff flag unusual returns coming through air channels, teams can adjust customer instructions before the issue spreads.

Questions founders should ask

If your catalog includes any goods that may be regulated under DOT or IATA rules, ask your 3PL whether those SKUs are air prohibited, cargo-aircraft-only, or allowed under limited quantities. Ask how those rules are stored in the WMS. Ask how carrier routing logic prevents mistakes at checkout or packout. Ask how they handle returns. If the answers are vague, you are not prepared for air restrictions.

Turning prohibitions into a growth advantage

Air transport dangerous goods prohibitions do not have to slow your growth. When your 3PL builds air restrictions into systems and processes, your operation becomes more predictable and your customers receive realistic delivery promises. Carriers trust your shipments, regulators see clean documentation, and your support team handles fewer last minute exceptions.

Kay summarizes G10s approach. "We follow regulations and guidelines to a T because we want to make sure that we are doing it legally, correctly, and safely." Applied to air prohibitions, that mindset means your goods move only where they are allowed, with fewer surprises and safer outcomes.

If your product line includes items that cannot fly, or if you are planning to scale into faster delivery promises, talk with G10 about how air transport compliance can support safer logistics and smarter growth.