Damaged Cargo

The airline cargo handlers have noted physical damage to the cargo packaging, crates, or contents during handling, loading, or unloading.

What Does DMG Mean in Air Cargo?

The status code DMG (representing Damaged Cargo) is a standard milestone defined by the IATA Cargo Interchange Message Procedures (Cargo-IMP). It serves as a key check-in event scanned by airline personnel or cargo terminal operators. Tracking this event provides shippers and logistics providers with end-to-end visibility, ensuring that transit connections, cargo transfer, and customs clearance proceed in an orderly manner.

What to Do Next? (Consignee Advice)

Carrier-Specific Naming Quirks

Although the IATA Cargo-IMP standard prescribes the status code DMG, different global airlines and cargo handlers often display this milestone under customized labels. Here is how major carriers translate it:

Emirates calls this 'Irregularity Noted', Lufthansa Cargo uses 'Cargo Discrepancy - Damaged', and British Airways shows 'Damage Exception'.

Typical Next Status Milestone

In the standard lifecycle of an air freight shipment, once the cargo passes through the Damaged Cargo (DMG) milestone, it is expected to transition into the following phase:

➡️ HLD (Held for Inspection) or DLV (Delivered with Exceptions)