Are dangerous goods accepted for transport by air?

Yes and no, it all depends what they are.

Dangerous goods that are not accepted are:

• Class 1 - Explosive substances (fireworks, firecrackers, ammunition, gunpowder, distress flares, etc.)
• Class 2 - Compressed gas (propane bottles, diving tanks, aerosol canisters, fire extinguishers, etc.)
• Class 3 - Flammable liquids (lighters, oil paint, glue, perfume, varnish, solvents, etc.)
• Class 4 - Flammable substances (matches, coal, etc.)
• Class 5 - Oxidising substances (swimming pool chemicals, hydrogen peroxide, bleaching agents, etc.)
• Class 6 - Toxic and infectious substances (pesticides, agricultural chemicals, mercury compounds, bacteria, viruses, etc.)
• Class 7 - Radioactive substances (radioactive waste, radioactive sources, smoke detectors, etc.)
• Class 8 - Corrosive substances (lithium-ion batteries, mercury, hydrochloric acid, etc.)
• Class 9 - Miscellaneous dangerous substances and items, and substances that are dangerous for the environment (magnetic objects, dry ice, lithium batteries, etc.)

Goods accepted on certain conditions are:

• Lithium batteries fitted inside a device (GPS, smartphones, cameras, razors, laptops, etc.),
• Category B biological substances, i.e. infectious substances that cannot lead to permanent disability or terminal or potentially terminal illness, or are allowed only between senders having official authorisation from the relevant authorities,
• Dry ice used as a cooling product for category B infectious substances
• Radioactive material carried only on the proviso that authorisation has been obtained in advance, and radioactivity does not exceed one tenth of the limits shown in table 2-15 of the ICAO’s Technical Instructions.

Dangerous goods banned from international mail