The shipment of LQ ammo by international air is forbidden. It is permissible to leave the LQ mark on the package and it will be ignored, and then of use for the road leg of the journey after air transport.
Use these Transport Data Sheets:
UN 0012: Ammo, International Air
UN 0014: Blank Ammo, International Air
An explanation follows.
LIMITED QUANTITIES
Unlike other modes of transport, small arms ammunition is forbidden to ship as a limited quantity by international air. Industry is not pursuing the ability to ship ammo as LQ by international air because:
- Unlike other modes where LQ has significant cost savings, the only exception by air is from package testing; there is no exception from shipping papers or labeling.
- Unlike other modes where the 5 kg limitation applies to each inner package, the 5kg limit in international air applies to the entire shipping case. A majority of ammunition packages would not qualify.
- Many airlines have filed variations prohibiting LQ shipments.
As a consequence, industry got the LQ surface mark approved for LQ air transport domestically in the USA, and obtained an example in IATA that the LQ surface mark may remain on the package and be ignored in international air. This eliminates the labor to remove it, and allows the package to be LQ during the international journey on the surface leg subsequent to air transport.
Therefore the LQ-Y mark should never be used.
Citations: IATA 2.8.3.5 (operator restrictions); Dangerous Goods List Columns G & H (LQ is forbidden); 7.1.5.5 and Figure 7.2.A (the ground LQ mark is allowed and ignored)