Which items are considered dangerous goods on an aircraft?

• A. Flammable, explosive, compressed gases, corrosives, oxidizers, and certain lithium batteries or other hazardous materials as defined by regulations.
• B. Only weapons.
• C. Only liquids over 2 liters.
• D. Only fragile items.

Answer: (B)

Dangerous goods are items that pose safety risks when transported by air and are defined by strict regulations. Those regulations group dangerous goods into several hazard classes, including flammable substances, explosives, compressed gases, corrosives, oxidizers, and certain hazardous materials such as some lithium batteries. Because the danger comes from a range of different properties, the correct understanding is that many kinds of items can be dangerous, not just one category. Weapons are dangerous, but they’re only one example among many; there are numerous other dangerous goods that require special handling, packaging, and sometimes prohibition. Standards like these also show that simply a volume threshold (like a certain number of liters) or labeling a package as fragile doesn’t determine danger by itself—the hazard class and proper documentation drive how the item must be handled.