The Cargo Aircraft Only Label (CAO Label – IATA)
These bright orange labels warn airline shipping personnel NOT to load dangerous cargo onto PASSENGER aircraft due to the threat that it may pose to the safety of the aircraft and its passengers.
The CAO label is required for all consignments containing dangerous goods that are shipped by cargo aircraft.
The label must be rectangular and a minimum size of 120x110mm. The printed text and images should be black on an orange (Pantone 151c/u) background and the label must be exactly as shown in the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.
When to use the CAO label (and when not to)
The use of the CAO label is not a personal choice, or the most convenient one. There are very specific instances when the label should and should not be used, and shippers using the label must know their way around the List of Dangerous Goods in the IATA DGR, Section 4.2. The 4.2 List provides crucial information about how to prepare air shipments.
The 4 most pertinent columns are:
- Column I: Packing Instruction for passenger and cargo air shipments
- Column J: Quantity limit per package for passenger and cargo air shipments
- Column K: Packing Instruction for Cargo Aircraft Only shipments
- Column L: Quantity limit per package for Cargo Aircraft Only
When to use the CAO Label:
When Forbidden on Passenger Aircraft: The CAO label must be used when a package is forbidden from transport on a passenger aircraft. The CAO label must be used if the word ‘Forbidden’ is indicated over columns I and J, but the dangerous goods can be shipped CAO per columns K and L.
When Packing Instructions and Quantity Limits Differ: The packing instructions and quantity limits for Passenger and Cargo Aircraft are in columns I and J respectively for fully regulated packages on the IATA DGR 4.2 List of Dangerous Goods. If your package exceeds the limit in column J, you must use the packaging instructions in column K for CAO (and remain below the quantity limit in column L). In this case, you must use the CAO label.
When you have the Same Packing Instruction but Different Quantity Limits: When the PI is the same, but maximum net quantities per package between passenger aircraft (columns I and J) and cargo aircraft (columns K and L) differ.
For some UN numbers only, it might happen that the PI on columns I and K will be the same and that there is a difference only for what concerns maximum net quantities per package, thus in columns J and L. In this case, if the net quantity of the package is bigger than the one indicated in column J, transport will be done as ‘Cargo Aircraft Only’, and the use of CAO labels will be compulsory.
When NOT to use the CAO Label:
When the Package is Allowed on Passenger Aircraft : If the package is allowed to be transported on a passenger aircraft, the shipper must not use the CAO label.
When you have a Mixed Shipment of Passenger and Cargo Air Packages: If a package is prepared so that it may be transported on a passenger aircraft according to the limited quantity packing instructions and quantity limits in columns G and H, or, fully regulated packing instructions and quantity limits in columns I and J, and is included on a ‘Cargo Aircraft Only’ shipping paper because of other packages in the shipment, the CAO label must NOT be used on the packages prepared for passenger air transport.
When you have the Same Packing Instruction and Quantity Limits: Same PIs and same maximum net quantities per package between passenger aircraft (columns I and J) and cargo aircraft (columns K and L). A package containing goods with a UN number that in the list of dangerous goods (chapter 4.2) has the same PI and the same maximum net quantity allowed both on passenger aircraft and cargo aircraft must not carry a CAO label.
When you have the Same Packing Instruction but no Quantity Limit: If the packing instructions in columns I and K are the same and ‘no limit’ is indicated in column J and L, you should not sure the CAO label.
THE HISTORY OF THE CAO LABEL
The original design of the Cargo label was first published in the 17th edition of the IATA Restricted Articles Regulations, which became effective 1974 and remained unchanged until 1st January 2013, when it was replaced with the present version.
The old Cargo label used to show the word ‘Danger’ in large letters but this was changed following a number of incidents where packages bearing the CAO label were actually loaded onto passenger aircraft.
Investigation showed that the label was partly at fault due to the lack of relevant keywords associating it as being for “Cargo Aircraft Only” and so the CAO label was revised to actually display these words and the old label was made obsolete on 1st January 2013.
This article should not be used in substitute for checking the exact requirements in the applicable modal regulations.