What is the role of the air carrier in dangerous goods shipments?

• A. The carrier approves all shipments automatically.
• B. The carrier's role is to label the packaging.
• C. The carrier must verify compliance with DGR and may refuse shipments that are non-compliant.
• D. The carrier only handles ground transportation.

Answer: (C)

Air carriers are responsible for confirming that dangerous goods shipments meet the Dangerous Goods Regulations before they are transported by air. They perform a DG acceptance check, verifying that the classification, packaging, labeling, and shipping documents are correct and complete. If anything is missing or non‑compliant, the carrier may refuse to transport the shipment to prevent hazards on board the aircraft. This verification sits atop the shipper's duties to classify, package, label, and provide proper documentation. While labeling is mainly a shipper responsibility, the carrier must check that the labels and markings match what is declared and required by the DGR. And of course, air carriers operate by air, not ground, so their role encompasses the entire air transport process with regulatory enforcement at acceptance.