Hand luggage restrictions

Hand luggage items not allowed

DO NOT pack the following items in your hand luggage:

Guns, firearms and weapons

Any object capable, or appearing capable, of discharging a projectile or causing injury, including:

• all firearms (pistols, revolvers, rifles,shotguns etc.)
• replica and imitation firearms
• component parts of firearms,(excluding telescopic sighting devices & sights)
• air pistols, rifles and pellet guns
• signal flare pistols
• starter pistols
• toy guns of all types
• ball bearing guns
• industrial bolt and nail guns
• cross bows
• catapults
• harpoon and spear guns
• animal humane killers
• stun or shocking devices e.g. cattle prods, ballistic conducted energy weapons (taser)
• lighters shaped like a firearm

Pointed/edged weapons and sharp objects

Pointed or bladed articles capable of causing injury, including:

• axes and hatchets
• arrows and darts
• crampons
• harpoons and spears
• ice axes and ice picks
• ice skates
• lockable or flick knives with blades of any length
• knives, including ceremonial knives, made of metal or any other material strong enough to be used as a potential weapon
• meat cleavers
• machetes
• open razors and blades (excluding safety or disposable razors with blades enclosed in cartridge)
• sabres, swords and swordsticks
• scalpels
• scissors with blades more than 6 cm in length
• ski and walking/hiking poles
• throwing stars
• tradesman's tools that have the potential to be used as a pointed or edged weapon e.g. drills and drill bits, box cutters, utility knives, all saws, screwdrivers, crowbars, hammers, pliers, wrenches/spanners, blow torches

Blunt instruments

Any blunt instrument capable of causing injury, including:

• baseball and softball bats
• clubs or batons - rigid or flexible e.g. Billy clubs, blackjacks, night sticks and batons
• cricket bats
• golf clubs
• hockey sticks
• lacrosse sticks
• kayak and canoe paddles
• skateboards
• billiard, snooker and pool cues
• fishing rods
• martial arts equipment e.g. knuckle dusters, clubs, coshes, rice flails, num chucks, kubatons, kubasaunts 

Explosives and flammable substances

Any explosive or highly combustible substances which poses a risk to the health of passengers and crew or the security/safety of aircraft or property, including:

• ammunition
• blasting caps
• detonators and fuses
• explosives and explosive devices
• replica or imitation explosive material or devices
• mines & other explosive military stores
• grenades of all types
• gas and gas containers e.g. butane, propane, acetylene, oxygen in large volume, fireworks, flares in any form and other pyrotechnics (including party poppers and toy caps)
• non-safety matches
• smoke generating canisters or cartridges
• flammable liquid fuel e.g. petrol/gasoline, diesel, lighter fluid, alcohol, ethanol, aerosol spray paint
• turpentine & paint thinner
• and alcoholic beverages exceeding 70% by volume (140% proof)

Chemical and toxic substances

Any chemical or toxic substance which poses a risk to the health of passengers and crew or the security/safety of aircraft or property, including:

• acids and alkalis e.g. spillable 'wet' batteries
• corrosive or bleaching substances e.g. mercury, chlorine
• disabling or incapacitating sprays e.g. mace, pepper spray, tear gas
• radioactive material e.g. medicinal or commercial isotopes
• poisons
• infectious or biological hazardous material e.g. infected blood, bacteria and viruses
• material capable of spontaneous ignition or combustion
• fire extinguishers

Further prohibited items can be found on the UK Border Agency website by clicking here.