Dangerous goods

Banned, restricted and dangerous goods are articles or substances that are capable of posing a risk to health, safety, property or the environment.

If you wish to travel with any such goods or material, please be aware of the restrictions or steps you may have to take to travel on an Aer Lingus service.

Our Guide to Dangerous Goods is available to download.

Please note, that while some items listed below are restricted for carriage as either cabin or checked baggage, they may be allowed to travel as cargo, provided they are packed in accordance with cargo regulations.

To ensure the safety of the aircraft and those on board, checked in or cabin baggage must not contain articles or substances that could pose a danger during transport. These include:

Prohibited Articles

Articles prohibited from carriage into the security restricted area and the cabin of an aircraft:

• Guns, firearms and other devices that discharge projectiles - devices capable, or appearing capable, of being used to cause serious injury by discharging a projectile, including:
  • Firearms of all types, such as pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns
  • Toy guns, replicas and imitation firearms capable of being mistaken for real weapons
  • Component parts of firearms, excluding telescopic sights
  • Compressed air and CO2 guns, such as pistols, pellet guns, rifles and ball bearing guns
  • Signal flare pistols and starter pistols
  • Bow, cross bows and arrows
  • Harpoon guns and spear guns
  • Slingshots and catapults
• Stunning devices - devices designed specifically to stun or immobilise, including:
  • Devices for shocking, such as stun guns, tasers and stun batons
  • Animal stunners and animal killers
  • Disabling and incapacitating chemicals, gases and sprays, such as mace, pepper spray, capsicum sprays, tear gas, acid sprays and animal repellent sprays
• Objects with a sharp point or sharp edge - objects with a sharp point or sharp edge capable of being used to cause serious injury, including:
  • Items designed for chopping, such as axes, hatchets and cleavers
  • Ice axes and ice picks
  • Razor blades
  • Box cutters
  • Knives with blades of more than 6cms
  • Scissors with blades of more than 6cms as measured from the fulcrum
  • Martial arts equipment with a sharp point or sharp edge
  • Swords and sabres
• Segway's - small two wheeled motorised vehicles used as a convenient mode of transport:
  • There are many names and brand names associated with such vehicles - Segway's, Swagway's, Swegway's, Mini Swegway's 'hoverboards' etc. All such vehicles are strictly prohibited (both as checked or cabin baggage) aboard Aer Lingus aircraft.
• Smart Luggage - a bag (rucksack, suitcase or similar) that may contain a lithium battery/power bank. This device is often used to recharge personal electronic devices (PEDs), e.g. phones, tablets, laptops or provide electro-motive power to move the case. Smart Luggage will not be accepted on flights if:
  • the lithium battery/power bank cannot be readily removed by the customer.
  • the wattage (Wh) rating of the lithium battery/power bank is more than 100Wh, or the Wh rating cannot be determined (e.g. not marked on the battery/power bank case).
  If the lithium battery/power bank can be removed, the smart luggage is permitted for carriage, subject to the following conditions:
  • The lithium battery must be removed and carried in the aircraft cabin with the terminals protected against short circuit
  • The lithium battery must have a capacity of less than 100Wh.
• Electric Bicycles - may only be carried if the battery is removed and then it shall be accepted as a normal bicycle and the rules above will apply.
• Electric Scooters - are not permitted for carriage unless the scooter is being used as a genuine mobility device. Customers will have to provide a doctor’s letter confirming a genuine need for this. If a scooter’s battery is non-removable it shall be secured safely on the aircraft.
• Workmen's tools - tools capable of being used either to cause serious injury or to threaten the safety of the aircraft, including:
  • Crowbars
  • Drills and drill bits, including cordless portable power drills
  • Tools with a blade or a shaft of more than 6 cms capable of use as a weapon, such as screwdrivers and chisels
  • Saws, including cordless portable power saws
  • Blowtorches
  • Bolt guns and nail guns
• Blunt instruments - objects capable of being used to cause serious injury when used to hit, including:
  • Baseball and softball bats
  • Clubs and batons, such as billy clubs, blackjacks and night sticks
  • Martial arts equipment
• Explosive and incendiary substances and devices - explosives and incendiary substances and devices capable, or appearing capable, of being used to cause serious injury or to pose a threat to the safety of aircraft, including:
  • Ammunition
  • Blasting caps
  • Detonators and fuses
  • Replica or imitation explosive devices
  • Mines, grenades and other explosive military stores
  • Fireworks and other pyrotechnics
  • Smoke-generating canisters and smoke generating cartridges Dynamite, gunpowder and plastic explosives

Note: Any sharp objects in checked-in baggage / hold baggage should be securely wrapped to prevent injury to screeners and handling personnel.

Articles prohibited from the aircraft baggage hold

• Ammunition
• Blasting caps
• Detonators and fuses
• Mines, grenades and other explosive military stores
• Fireworks and other pyrotechnics
• Smoke-generating canisters and smoke-generating cartridges
• Dynamite, gunpowder and plastic explosives

Restricted items on board Aer Lingus Flights

Restricted items

The following list covers items restricted for carriage on board Aer Lingus services.

• Christmas crackers cannot be used in flight.
• Gas cigarette lighters are prohibited on all flights to and from the USA.

Restricted items requiring advance notification to Aer Lingus

The following list covers items that may be carried on Aer Lingus flights but require approval prior to travel and where quantities or regulation of items are restricted.

If you plan on travelling with any of these items you must contact your local Helpdesk at least 48 hours prior to departure.

• Battery powered mobility aids
  • non-spillable batteries
  • spillable batteries or with lithium batteries
  • lithium ion batteries (collapsible)

• Camping stoves and fuel containers that have contained a flammable liquid fuel - fuel tank/container must be empty.
• Lithium ion Batteries with a Watt-hour rating exceeding 100 Wh but not exceeding 160 Wh.
  • Contained within security-type equipment.
  • Spare lithium ion batteries - Maximum of two spare batteries per person.
• Mercury-filled items - barometers, thermometers, etc.
• Avalanche rescue backpack - must be packed with pressure relief valves and in a manner that it cannot be accidentally activated.
• Solid carbon dioxide (dry ice)
• Heat-producing articles - underwater torches (diving lamps), soldering irons, etc.
• Oxygen and other small cylinders for medical use - cylinder must have a gross weight under 5 kg.
• Life jackets - containing small non-flammable gas cylinders (containing suitable gas in Division 2.2).
• Portable medical electronic devices - Automated External Defibrillators (AED), Nebulizer, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) containing lithium batteries, etc. Please note: Aer Lingus cannot provide onboard power for portable medical devices. For more information, see Special Assistance.
• Chemical agent monitoring equipment
• Firearms and/or Ammunition (cartridges for weapons), securely packaged.

Firearms and ammunition

Our Helpdesk must receive the following details at least 48 hours before travel:Aer Lingus will carry Firearms and ammunition cartridges subject to the following:

Firearms

• Quantity
• Type (handgun, rifle, shotgun)
• Make/model

Ammunition

• Quantity (weight) and calibre

Upon presentation at the airport

• Sport Guns are dismantled and packed one per case.
• Sport Guns, ammunition and cartridges must be packed separately from other baggage.
• Sport Guns, ammunition and cartridges must be available for inspection by security.
• Ammunition is limited to 5kg per passenger.
• Ammunition must be packed in containers of wood, metal, or fireboard with the contents protected against any movement.
• Only the licensed firearm owner may check-in a Sport Gun upon presentation of their valid Firearm License at check-in.

Note: Sports Weapons/Firearms/Ammunition cannot be carried on Aer Lingus regional flights.

EU aviation security regulations

EU aviation security regulations prohibit passengers from carrying any liquid, gels or pastes of more than 100mls through security screening.

Exempt items must also be placed in a separate transparent re-sealable bag and presented separately at the passenger security screening area.

Details of these regulations are available to download here: EU aviation security regulations

Liquids purchased in airside retail units are not subject to limit of 100mls.