Moving goods by air

Airfreight industry regulations

You can import and export the majority of products to and from the UK without a licence. However, certain goods are restricted, so you need to be aware of which industry regulations to comply with. Commonly sensitive products, such as armaments, drugs, products originating from endangered animal species and certain high-tech computer products, require a licence before they can be exported.

You can read information about import licensing at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) website - Opens in a new window.

You should also be aware of the Export Control Organisation (ECO). You can read about ECO on the BERR website - Opens in a new window.

Certain countries have specific regulations - eg if you import food into the USA, you must provide prior notification to the US Food and Drug Administration of each shipment of food.

Dangerous goods

If you intend to move dangerous goods by air, you must ensure that your goods are packaged, labelled and certificated in compliance with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations. Failure to comply with these regulations is an offence under the Air Navigation Order 2005. Consignments of dangerous goods moving to or from an airport also need to comply with the regulations for the transport of dangerous goods by road.

Find out about the dangerous goods regulations on the IATA website - Opens in a new window. You can also order a dangerous goods compliance kit from the IATA website.

Download guidance on the carriage of dangerous goods by road from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) website (PDF) - Opens in a new window. You can also read our guide on moving dangerous goods.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• Airfreight rates
• The role of the airline
• Airfreight logistics
• Advice on packaging
• Security for airfreight
• Airfreight industry regulations
• Airfreight documentation
• Airfreight insurance

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