- Adria Airways
- Aegean Airlines
- Aer Arann
- Aer Lingus
- Aerocon
- Aeroflot
- Aerolineas Argentinas
- Aeromexico
- Aeropelican
- Aeropostal
- AeroSur
- AHA! Airlines
- Aigle Azur
- Air Algerie
- Air Antilles
- Air Asia
- Air Asia X
- Air Belgium
- Air Berlin
- Air Calin
- Air Canada
- Air Canada Jazz
- Air Canada Rouge
- Air Canada Rouge
- Air Caraibes
- Air Chathams
- Air China
- Air Corsica
- Air Dolomiti
- Air Europa
- Air Finland
- Air France
- Air India
- Air Italy
- Air Jamaica
- Air Kiribati
- Air Malta
- Air Mauritius
- Air Mediterranee
- Air Moldova
- Air Nauru
- Air Nelson
- Air New Zealand
- Air Nippon
- Air Niugini
- Air North
- Air Nostrum
- Air One
- Air Pacific
- Air Panama
- Air Poland
- Air Pullmantur
- Air Rarotonga
- Air Southwest
- Air Tahiti
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Air Transat
- Air Vallee
- Air Vanuatu
- Air VIA
- AirBaltic
- Aires
- Airlinair
- Airlines of Tasmania
- Airlines PNG
- Airnorth
- AirTran Airways
- Alaska Airlines
- Albanian Airlines
- Alitalia
- Allegiant Air
- American Airlines
- ANA Wings
- AnadoluJet
- Andes Lineas Aereas
- Arajet
- Arik Air
- ArkeFly
- Arkia Israeli Airlines
- Armavia
- Aserca
- Asiana Airlines
- Atlantic Airways
- AtlasJet
- Aurela Airlines
- Aurigny
- Austral Airlines Argentina
- Austrian Airlines
- Avelo Airlines
- Avianca
- AZUL Brazilian Airlines
- Baboo
- BahamasAir
- Bahrain Air
- Bearskin Airlines
- Belavia
- BelleAir
- BH Air
- BH Airlines
- BinterCanarias
- Blekingeflyg
- Blue Air
- Blue Islands
- Blue1
- Bluexpress
- bmi
- bmi Regional
- bmibaby
- bmibaby.com
- Boliviana de Aviacion
- Breeze Airways
- Brindabella Airlines
- British Airways
- Brussels Airlines
- Bulgaria Air
- Bulgarian Air Charter
- Calm Air
- Canada Jetlines
- Canadian North
- CanJet
- Caribbean Airlines
- Carpatair
- Cathay Pacific
- Cayman Airways
- Chathams Pacific
- China Eastern Airlines
- China Southern Airlines
- Cimber Sterling
- Cirrus Airlines
- City Airline
- CityJet
- Condor
- Continental Airlines
- Contour Airlines
- Conviasa
- Copa Airlines
- Corendon Airlines
- Corsairfly
- Croatia Airlines
- Cubana de Aviacion
- Cyprus Airways
- Czech Airlines
- Dagestan Airlines
- Danube Wings
- Darwin Airline
- Delta Airlines
- Direktflyg
- Dniproavia
- Donbassaero
- Dragonair
- Dutch Antilles Express
- Eastern Airlines
- Eastern Airways
- EasyJet
- Edelweiss Air
- EgyptAir
- El Al
- Emirates
- Enerjet
- Estonian Air
- Ethiopian Airlines
- Etihad Airways
- EuroLOT
- Eurowings
- Fiji Airways
- Finnair
- Finncomm Airlines
- Flair Airlines
- Fly Montserrat
- flybe
- FlyNiki
- Flysmaland
- Freedom Air
- Frenchbee
- Frontier Airlines
- Georgian Airways
- Germania
- Germanwings
- Gol Airlines
- Gotlandsflyg
- Gulf Air
- Hainan Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Hellenic Imperial Airways
- Hello
- Helvetic Airways
- helvetic.com
- Horizon Air
- Iberia Airlines
- Iberia Regional
- Iberworld
- Iceland Air
- Iceland Express
- Insel Air
- Interjet
- InterSky
- Iran Air
- Iran Airtours
- Iraqi Airways
- Islas Airways
- Israir Airlines
- ITA Airways
- ItAli Airlines
- JAL Express
- Jamaica Airways
- Japan Airlines
- JAT Airways
- jet2.com
- JetairFly
- JetBlue
- JetConnect
- Jetstar.com
- Jettime
- Joon
- Kalmarflyg
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- Korean Air
- Kuban Airlines
- Kullaflyg
- LACSA
- LADE - Lineas Aereas del Estado
- LAN
- LASER
- LATAM
- Lauda Air
- Level Airlines
- LIAT Leeward Island Air Transport
- Lion Air
- Loganair
- LOT Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Luxair
- Lynx Air
- Mahan Air
- Malev
- Malmo Aviation
- Meridiana Fly
- Moldavian Airlines
- Monarch Airlines
- Moskovia Airlines
- MyAustrian Holidays
- Neos Air
- NewLeaf Airlines
- Nordavia
- Norse Airways
- Northwest Airlines
- Norwegian
- OLT
- Onur Air
- Orbest
- Orbest Orizonia
- Orenair
- Our Airline
- Pacific Blue
- Pacific Coastal
- PAL Airlines
- Par-Avion
- Pegasus Airlines
- PLAY Airlines
- Pluna
- Polynesian Airlines
- Polynesian Blue
- Porter Airlines
- Primera Air
- Puma Air
- Qantas
- Qantaslink
- Qatar Airways
- REDJet
- REGIONAL
- Regional Express
- REX
- Rossiya Russian Airlines
- Royal Air Maroc
- Ryanair
- S7 Airlines
- Samoa Air
- SAS Scandinavian Airlines
- SAT Airlines
- SATA Azores Airlines
- Silver Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- Sky Airline
- Sky Airlines
- Sky Express Greece
- Sky Work Airlines
- SkyBahamas
- Skyservice Airlines
- Skyways
- Skywest Airlines
- Small Planet Airlines
- SmartLynx
- SmartWings
- SOL Lineas Aereas
- Solomon Airlines
- South African Airlines
- South East Airlines
- Southwest
- SpanAir
- Spirit Airlines
- Star Peru
- Sun Air of Scandinavia
- Sun Country Airlines
- Sundsvallsflyg
- SunExpress
- Sunwing
- Surinam Airways
- Sverigeflyg
- SwiftAir
- SWISS
- Swiss European Airlines
- Swiss International Airlines
- SwissAir
- Swoop Airlines
- TACA
- TAM Airlines
- TAME
- TAP Portugal
- TAROM
- Tatarstan
- Thomas Cook
- Thomas Cook Belgium
- Thomas Cook Scandinavia
- Thomas Cook UK
- Thomson Airways
- Tiger Airways Australia
- Titan Airways
- Transaero Airlines
- Transavia.com
- TRIP Linhas Aereas
- TUIfly
- TUIfly Nordic
- Tunisair
- Turkish Airlines
- Twin Jet
- Tyrolean Airways
- Ukraine International Airlines
- UM Airlines
- United Airlines
- URAL Airlines
- US Airways
- UTair
- V Australia
- VIM Airlines
- Virgin America
- Virgin Atlantic
- Virgin Australia
- Viva Colombia
- VivaAerobus
- Vladivostok Air
- Vladivostokavia
- Volaris Airlines
- Vueling
- WebJet
- Western Air
- Westjet
- Westjet Encore
- Wideroe
- WindJet
- Wings Air
- Wizz Air
- WOW Air
- XL Airways France
- Yakutia Airlines
- Yamal Airlines
- Zipair
- Greyhound Canada
- Megabus Canada
- Megabus UK
- Megabus USA
Can I Bring a Drone on an Airplane [2023 Update]
Flying with a Drone on an Airplane
Bringing a drone on an airplane on your next trip is a great way to capture some stunning shots from your travels. Before packing your drone on your next flight, be sure to read through our guide to bringing a drone on an airplane, with rules and regulations regarding TSA drone rules, FAA regulations regarding flying with drones and drone batteries, individual airline policies regarding drones and batteries, and drone laws for the country you plan on visiting.
TSA Drone Rules - Can I Bring a Drone through Airport Security?
The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) conducts security screenings at airports in the US. The TSA says that drones CAN be brought through airport security checkpoints, meaning your drone can be packed in carry-on and/or checked baggage. However, individual airlines may set their own rules on whether they will accept your drone in your carry-on bag, in your checked baggage, or both.
When packing your drone to bring through security, it is important to consider the batteries. The TSA, FAA, and individual airlines have special rules for flying with Lithium Ion and Lithium Polymer batteries, which are the types of batteries used in your drone.
Flying with Drone Batteries on an Airplane
The capacity of your drone's battery and spare batteries dictate how you may pack your drone and spare batteries on your next trip. It is recommended to uninstall the batteries from your drone when packing. Be sure to check the capacity in Watt Hours (Wh) of your batteries when packing. Most lithium ion batteries have the Watt Hours (Wh) printed on the battery - if not, you can calculate the battery's Wh by multiplying the battery voltage by the Amp hours (Ah).
If your drone's batteries have a capacity of less than 100 Wh, there is no limit to how many spare batteries you may bring with you. If your drone's batteries have a capacity of 100-160 Wh, you may need your airline's approval to bring these batteries on your trip, in which case you may be allowed up to a maximum of 2 batteries.
All spare (uninstalled) batteries may ONLY by taken in your CARRY-ON baggage. It is PROHIBITED to pack spare lithium batteries in your checked luggage. If your carry-on bag is gate-checked, you must REMOVE your spare drone batteries from the gate-checked bag and bring them with you into the cabin.
When packing your drone's batteries, be sure to always protect the terminals to avoid any potential short circuits and risk of ignition. Methods include: leaving the batteries in their retail packaging, covering battery terminals with tape, using a battery case, using a battery sleeve in a camera bag, or putting them snugly in a plastic bag or protective pouch.
Drone Parachute Systems May be Prohibited
If your drone has a parachute system, it may contain items such as pyrotechnics, CO2 Canisters, or batteries, or other materials that may be considered dangerous goods. If you have a parachute system, be sure to contact the TSA and FAA directly to confirm whether your drone will be allowed to fly with you on your next trip.
Airline Specific Drone Policies
Individual airlines may have their own policies regarding whether they will accept your drone in checked baggage, carry-on baggage, or both. In any situation, spare batteries must ALWAYS be packed only in your carry-on bag.
Tips for Packing your Drone for Airline Travel
Be sure to completely turn off your drone before packing for your next trip. We recommend removing the battery completely (packing it safely into your carry-on bag), and protecting any switches from accidentally activating your drone.
Protect your drone from damage by packing it into a protective case, whether it be a hard-sided case or soft-sided case. Below is a list of recommended protective cases for some of the most popular drones on the market:
Recommended Drone Travel Cases
Hard Travel Case for DJI Mavic 3 Mavic 3 Cine Drone
Travel Case for DJI Mavic 2 Pro / Zoom / Air 2S
Pelican Case for DJI Inspire 2
Travel Case for DJI Mini 3 /Mini 3 Pro RC
Drone Laws for Your Destination
Depending on where you are flying to, you may or may not be allowed to bring your drone into the country, or there may be specific rules regarding whether you will be allowed to fly your drone once you arrive. Be sure to check with the country's civial aviation unit the specific rules regarding drones for that country. Some things to keep in mind:
Questions to Consider Regarding Flying with your Drone to Another Country
Are drones legal in the country?
Do I need to register myself as a drone pilot to be allowed to fly?
Are foreigners allowed to bring a drone into the country?
Will I be allowed to bring the drone into the country?
Some countries explicitely prohibit drones, in which case you will not be allowed to bring your drone with you, and your drone may be confiscated at the airport. In most cases, your drone will stored at the airport, and will be returned to you when you leave the country. However, this is not always the case. If you are visiting a country where drones are prohibited, we recommend not packing your drone on the trip, to avoid the risk of getting your drone confiscated and not returned to you.
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