Nearly 100 rule changes.
Four critical manuals.
One global impact.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its 2026 editions of key industry manuals, the Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR), Battery Shipping Regulations (BSR), Live Animals Regulations (LAR), and Ground Operations Manual (IGOM), introducing close to 100 major updates that reshape global air logistics.

1. Lithium Batteries: Stricter & Smarter
•    25% surge in lithium battery air shipments and rising onboard overheating incidents have prompted tougher rules.
•    New shipping names for hybrid vehicles, passenger-use limits on power banks, and standardized operator variations across 290 airlines.
•    The BSR adds stricter charge limits, a shipper checklist, and expanded postal permissions.

Bottom line: Lithium batteries remain the most scrutinized cargo in aviation. Expect tighter checks, higher documentation demands, and digital verification.

 2. Live Animals: Welfare Takes Flight
•    Over 200,000 non-domestic animals flew in 2024, prompting revised welfare protocols.
•    New training standards, ventilation requirements, and species-specific updates (poultry, pangolins, raptors).
•    Brazil formally adopts the LAR, setting a new benchmark in South America.

Bottom line: Expect closer audits, new container standards, and stricter staff competency checks.

3. Ground Operations: Safety, Passengers & Turnaround
•    The IGOM 2026 adds procedures for unaccompanied minors, unruly passengers, and medical cases.
•    Baggage tracking aligns with IATA Resolution 753 for better traceability.
•    Revised aircraft turnaround and potable water handling processes.
Bottom line: Small procedural gaps can now mean non-compliance, training and documentation updates are non-negotiable.

4. Going Digital
•    IATA launches LAR Verify, a digital platform for compliance validation.
•    Updated Dangerous Goods List and Battery Classification Tool (now includes sodium-ion batteries).
    Bottom line: Paper checklists are out, digital compliance is in.

Why This Matters
These aren’t just paperwork updates, they’re global operational resets.
For freight forwarders, airlines, and handlers, the cost of non-compliance is higher than ever.
From battery safety to animal welfare and digital traceability, 2026 will redefine the logistics rulebook.

Sources
•    IATA.org – 2026 Cargo & Ground Ops Manuals
•    Air Cargo News – IATA updates manuals for cargo and ground handling (2024)
•    Kreisler Publications – IATA 2026 Manual Series