Shipping Dry Ice by Air in 2026: PI 954, UN1845, and the 200 kg Limit Explained

Dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) is one of the most common hazardous materials shipped out of Miami International Airport — vaccine and biologic shippers, frozen seafood exporters, perishable e-commerce, and clinical trial logistics all use it routinely. It is also, despite the volume, one of the shipments most likely to be tendered with incorrect paperwork.

This post is a 2026 reference for shipping dry ice by air under IATA: the right UN number, the packing instruction, the package limits, the AWB language, and the operator variations that can stop a shipment at the counter.

The basics: UN1845, Class 9, PI 954

Dry ice ships under:

• UN number: UN1845
• Proper shipping name: Carbon Dioxide, Solid
• Hazard class: 9 (Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods)
• Packing Instruction (passenger and cargo air): PI 954

PI 954 specifies how the package must be constructed and vented. The fundamental rule is that the package must allow CO2 gas to vent as the dry ice sublimates — sealing it tight creates a pressure vessel and a rupture risk.

The 200 kg per-package limit (and why your carrier may say less)

The IATA limit for dry ice in a single package is 200 kg or less. That is the regulatory ceiling.

Most carriers impose tighter operator-specific limits. UPS, for example, publishes a 68 kg per-package cap on certain services. FedEx has its own table. Cargo airlines often have aircraft-specific aggregate limits. The practical rule: confirm the limit with your operator at booking, not at tender.

A package within the IATA 200 kg limit can still be refused for exceeding the operator’s published variation.

Packaging and venting

PI 954 requires packaging that:

• Is constructed to permit the release of CO2 gas (vented, not sealed)
• Will not be embrittled by the cold temperature
• Maintains its integrity at the operating temperature of dry ice (-78.5 deg C / -109 deg F)

In practice this usually means a fiberboard outer with an insulating EPS (foam) inner. Sealed plastic bins, metal coolers without vents, and glass containers are not compliant. Heat-shrink wrap that prevents venting will fail acceptance.

Air waybill language

The AWB must include the dry ice declaration in the standard format:

“Dry ice, 9, UN1845, [number of packages] x [net weight in kilograms]”

For example: “Dry ice, 9, UN1845, 3 x 25 kg” for three packages of 25 kg each.

This statement goes in the nature and quantity of goods box. The total dry ice weight on the AWB must match the sum of the individual package quantities — math errors here are a common counter rejection.

Marking and labeling

Each package needs:

• UN1845 marking with the proper shipping name “Carbon Dioxide, Solid”
• Net weight in kg of dry ice in the package
• Class 9 hazard label (white background, black diagonal stripes, “9” at the bottom)
• Shipper’s and consignee’s name and address

Labels must be on the same side as each other, on a contrasting background, and not covered by other markings. Sounds obvious; it is the third most common cause of acceptance failure after AWB errors and venting issues.

When dry ice combines with other hazmat

Many real-world shipments ship dry ice alongside other regulated commodities — most commonly biological substances (UN 3373) or infectious substances (UN 2814, UN 2900). Each commodity needs its own correct documentation, and the package design has to comply with the strictest applicable rule.

A common pattern: a Category B biological substance (UN 3373) chilled with dry ice. The shipment needs both the UN 3373 packaging requirements and the UN1845 PI 954 venting requirements. Many shippers handle one and forget the other.

State and operator variations to check

IATA’s State and Operator Variations (subsection 2.8 of the DGR) override the general rules. For dry ice, the most commonly relevant variations include:

• U.S. variations through 49 CFR for ground transport segments before and after the flight
• Operator-specific quantity caps (often well below the 200 kg IATA limit)
• Operator-specific marking requirements (some carriers want the “DRY ICE” mark in larger letters than IATA minimum)
• Country-of-arrival variations if the dry ice is in transit through a third country

Before tendering an international dry ice shipment, check the relevant operator’s published variations table — usually available in their cargo customer portal or via your forwarder’s DG desk.

Common reasons dry ice shipments are rejected

Six patterns in 2026:

1. AWB math errors — package count times per-package kg does not equal total
2. Sealed packaging preventing CO2 venting
3. Operator-variation cap exceeded despite being within the IATA limit
4. Missing or wrong Class 9 label
5. Combined shipment with biological substance lacking UN 3373 packaging
6. Outdated AWB language (older “Carbon dioxide solid” formatting that does not match current IATA wording)

Every one of these is preventable at tender. None is fixable easily once the shipment is at the airline counter.

Training and recurrent training

Anyone preparing dry ice shipments must have IATA DGR training appropriate to their role (typically Function-Specific Categories 1, 3, or 6 depending on whether you are shipping, packing, or accepting). Training expires every 24 months under the U.S. Hazmat Regulations and IATA. Carriers do verify training certificates during DG audits.

How Go Freight handles dry ice shipments

Go Freight’s mobile hazardous materials compliance team supports Florida shippers tendering UN1845 dry ice via Miami International Airport and other Florida airports. We verify packaging compliance with PI 954, confirm operator variations with the airline DG desk before tender, and prepare AWB language and marking that passes counter acceptance the first time.

If you ship dry ice — alone or combined with biological, pharmaceutical, or perishable cargo — and want a DG-trained partner managing the documentation, call Go Freight at (786) 244-3235 or visit our home page to start the conversation about hazardous materials compliance.

Sources: 2026 IATA Acceptance Checklist for Dry Ice (PDF); PI 954 for UN1845 — Wayne State OEHS; Dry Ice Shipping Guide — UT Austin EHS; Restrictions on Shipping Dry Ice Internationally — TempControlPack.