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The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines will strictly implement next year the requirement for all dangerous goods air shippers to submit a DG training manual and program
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CAAP before year-end will issue a memo reiterating a 2024 ruling requiring submission of such materials to CAAP’s Flight Operations Department
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CAAP FOD section head Nicholas Van Apao expects pushback from the industry but said the agency is open to discussing the policy with stakeholders
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A CAAP Dangerous Goods Symposium will be conducted in the first quarter of next year to ensure industry compliance
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is set to strictly implement next year the requirement for all dangerous goods (DG) air shippers to submit a DG training manual and training program.
CAAP will issue before year-end a memo reiterating Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 026-2024, which requires all organizations and individuals engaged in the transportation of dangerous goods by air to submit their respective dangerous goods procedure manual and dangerous goods training program to CAAP’s Flight Operations Department (FOD) for approval, FOD section head and dangerous goods inspector Nicholas Van Apao told PortCalls on the sidelines of the recent Philippines Air Cargo Day 2025 conference and exhibit.
READ: Philippine air cargo sector set to chart a smarter, safer course
Apao was one of the speakers at the two-day event, a joint undertaking between the International Air Transport Association, Philippine Multimodal Transport and Logistics Association, Inc. (PMTLAI) and PortCalls.
The requirement is in line with CAAP’s efforts to strengthen compliance with national and international safety standards.
It is also to ensure alignment with Annex 18 (The Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air) of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (also called Chicago Convention), and Philippine Civil Aviation Regulations Part 18.001(a) (Transportation of Goods by Air), which prescribes the Philippines’ requirements that apply to the carriage of dangerous goods in both domestic and international flights.
Apao said the policy has actually been in place for some time now but not strictly implemented, especially for shippers and freight forwarders. Only a handful of airlines and freight forwarders are compliant.
“We’re trying to…bring it back but not in a stricter manner,” Apao said, noting they have been trying to reach out to the Civil Aeronautics Board and PMTLAI “to discuss what were the hurdles before so that we can move forward and to ensure…the skies are safe pertaining to the transport of dangerous goods by air.”
READ: PMTLAI dangerous goods training program re-certified by IATA
The soon-to-be released memo reiterating MC No. 06-2024 will take effect January 1, 2026.
Apao acknowledged he expects “some pushbacks” as some freight forwarders may not know how to create their training manual and program, or previously did so but found the exercise “quite expensive.”
“So, if there’s some pushbacks, I’m more than happy to discuss it [with them],” Apao said.
He noted they can give some leeway on compliance until the end of the first quarter next year because they want to conduct the CAAP Dangerous Goods Symposium first “to explain to the freight forwarders what do we expect and how do we expect them to implement it.”
Under MC 026-2024, detailed guidelines for the requirement can be found in CAAP Advisory Circulars 18-002 (Guidance for Development of Dangerous Goods Manuals), 18-003 (Guidelines on Training for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air), and 18-004 (Guidelines for Non-Operators Handling Dangerous Goods). – Roumina Pablo
READ: Air cargo experts bat for firmer safety standards implementation in PH
