ICAO has been made aware that some States are restricting certain people on board cargo-only aircraft transporting dangerous goods not permitted on passenger-carrying aircraft. These restrictions have been based on their interpretation of definitions for passenger and cargo aircraft contained in Annex 18 and the Technical Instructions. There are concerns that the restrictions will further impede the ability of operators to position crew.
Annex 18 should not be interpreted to prohibit or limit positioning of crew on an operator's cargo aircraft carrying dangerous goods not permitted on passenger aircraft. This includes personnel that may not be assigned operational duties on the specific flight, such as repositioning flight and cabin crew, loadmasters and maintenance personnel.
The definitions for passenger and cargo aircraft are included in Annex 18 and the Technical Instructions for the purpose of distinguishing between the types and quantities of dangerous goods permitted on a cargo versus a passenger-carrying aircraft. The carriage of passengers on an aircraft is governed by the Standards in Annex 6.
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