Prohibited and Restricted Items on All Flights Departing from South Africa

When preparing for traveling by air it is important to note that for safety and security reasons there are restrictions on items to be carried on an aircraft. Certain items may not be carried as cabin luggage, but can be carried as checked baggage, on the other hand there are those items that are strictly prohibited for carriage on an aircraft. The following information aligned with International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods, IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and Civil Aviation Regulations is provided as a guideline of prohibited or restricted items on all Domestic and International flights.

Passenger are advised to contact their airline or airport for precise information on items allowed or prohibited for carriage on an aircraft and for country specific restrictions. Different countries may implement further restrictions on items listed in this guideline. Additionally, the airport reserves the right to subject permitted items to additional security screening processes or disallow such items through the checkpoint if there are security concerns or as per their airport rules.

Prohibited Items List

1. Items prohibited for carriage in the cabin of an aircraft and in security restricted areas

a.    Guns, firearms, and other devices designed to cause serious injury or capable of being mistaken for such devices, including components of firearms and ammunition (improvised, single discharge weapons such as 3D printed items that may not be identifiable). Those include:

• Firearms of all types, including pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns.  Passengers can carry firearms designed solely for sporting purposes as checked baggage provided that:
• the airline agrees to their carriage in line with applicable legislation;
• details of them have been provided to the airline;
• they are appropriately packed (packed in a locked, hard-sided case) and presented as checked baggage; and
• they are unloaded.

Note: There are strict firearm legislation in South Africa requiring firearms and ammunition to be processed through a dedicated firearm handling service. Passengers must check with their airline if a firearm handling service is provided by the applicable airline and what the process and requirements are.

• Toy guns, replicas and imitation firearms capable of being mistaken for real weapons
• Laser guns. In terms of laser guns, the passenger must ensure that the laser gun is completely turned off, and that they are packed in such a way that they are protected from accidental activation and damage
• Component part of firearms (excluding telescopic sights)
• Compressed air and CO2 guns, including pistols, pellet guns, rifles, and ball bearing guns
• Signal flare pistols and starter pistols
• Harpoon guns and spear guns
• Slingshots and catapults
• electrical stun devices and improvised devices 
  
  Note: You need prior permission form the airline to carry any Laser, replica, imitation or look alike firearm that are capable of being mistaken for a real firearm in your check-in baggage. Your airline is also required to notify the airport security of such instances.
   

b.    Explosives and incendiary substances and other non-readily available components such as detonators, ignitors and secondary items such as incendiary material devices capable of being used to cause serious injury or threatening the safety of aircraft, including:

• Ammunition
• Blasting caps
• Detonators and fuses
• Replica or imitation explosive devices
• Mines, grenades, and other explosive military stores
• Pyrotechnics, including fireworks
• Smoke-generating canisters or cartridges
• Dynamite, gunpowder and plastic explosives

c.    chemical substances, such as:

• disabling and incapacitating chemicals, gases, and sprays, such as mace, pepper, or capsicum
• sprays, acid sprays, animal repellent sprays, and tear gas
• chemicals that, when mixed, can create a hazard through reaction (hypergolic reactions)
• chemicals that cause any hazard to life or property whether classified as Dangerous Goods or not.

d.    Stunning devices, including:

• Devices for shocking, such as stun guns (e.g., teasers) and stun batons
• Animal stunners and animal killers
• Disabling and incapacitating chemicals, gases and sprays, such as mace, or  capsicum spray, acid sprays and animal repellent sprays.

e.    Objects with sharp points or sharp edges, and devices that discharge projectiles capable of being used to cause serious injury, including:

• Items designed for chopping, such as axes, hatchets, and cleavers
• Ice axes and ice picks
• Harpoon guns and spear guns
• Knives with blades of more than 6cm
• Slingshots and catapults
• Razor blades and box cutters
• Scissors with blades of more than 6cm as measured from the fulcrum
• Bows, crossbows and arrows
• Martial arts equipment with sharp points or sharp edges
• swords and sabers
  
  Sharp objects are not allowed in the cabin of all flights. Sharp objects packed as checked baggage must be securely wrapped to prevent injury to persons inspecting baggage and to baggage handlers.
  
   

f.     Workers tools

• Tools with blades or shafts more than 6cm. capable of use as weapons, such as screwdrivers, chisels
• Crowbars
• drills and drill bits, including cordless portable power drills
• Saw, including cordless portable power saws
• Blowtorches
• Bolt guns and nail guns
  
   

g.    Blunt instruments; including:

• Clubs and batons, such as billy clubs and nightsticks
• baseball and softball bats
• martial arts equipment
  
   

h.    Liquid, Aerosols and Gels (LAGs), applicable to international flights, as specified in the guidance material for security controls of LAGs.

The following guidelines are to be followed in terms of packing of LAGs:

• LAGs must be carried in individual containers with a capacity not greater than 100 millilitres (or equivalent) and contained in one transparent resealable plastic bag of a capacity not exceeding 1 litre (or equivalent) per passenger.
• The contents of the plastics bag shall fit comfortably, and the bag shall be completely closed.
• Exemptions should be made for medications (accompanied with a letter from a registered physician), baby milk/foods and special dietary requirements.
  
  Passenger are advised to contact their airline for a comprehensive list of LAGs, information on countries with LAGs restrictions on both arrival and departure flights and regarding terms and conditions for exemptions.
  
  Note: LAGs restrictions are not applicable to domestic flights.

2. Items prohibited for carriage on all flights departing from South Africa

Certain items are prohibited for carriage in the cabin, as cabin/hand luggage, checked baggage, on one's person, in the and hold of an aircraft, and are classified by ICAO as Dangerous Goods. Information regarding prohibited items for carriage on an aircraft is taken from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air and Dangerous Goods regulations.

a.    Explosive or incendiary substances or devices capable of being used to cause serious injury or threatening the safety of aircraft are prohibited in the hold of an aircraft for safety reasons, including the following:

• Blasting caps

• Detonators caps
• Replica or imitation explosives devices
• Pyrotechnics, including fireworks, flares
• Smoke-generating canisters or cartridges
• Explosives: Dynamite, gunpowder and plastics explosives, mines, grenades and other explosive military stores
• Party poppers
• Incendiary substances and devices
• Munitions

(Rules granting exemptions under defined circumstances may exist)

With the approval of the operator, certain cartridges may be permitted for transport in hold baggage under conditions specified in Part 8, Chapter 1, 1.1.2, of the Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (Doc 9284).

 

Passenger are advised to contact their airline for precise information on prohibited items and dangerous goods restrictions on all flights departing from South Africa.