Who stipulates where and how ammo should be carried on the plane? Do the individual airlines make their own rule on this, or is there some sort of international regulation?

The reason i ask is that I contacted an airline in London today and was given two different answers by two different people.

One said basically as long as it is packed appropriately, ie not all loose in a box, there was no issue...The other person stated that the ammo need to be in a locked metal box...

Regards,

Pete

The individual airlines, at least to a degree, i.e., it's not up to the airline as to whether it can be in your carry-on, but as to packing and even amount (though that seems to be pretty standard), it is the specific airline.

An answer as extreme as "a locked metal box" can pretty much be discounted. Personally, I like to carry mine in a Pelican camera box that can be locked because our Transportation Safety folks like it that way. If you don't have a lock, it's no problem. They will just plastic slip tie it closed for the flight and you can snip off the plastic later. However, MTM plastic boxes, taped shut make a good package and if you come up with some ersatz ammunition company label, i.e. Southern California Ammunition Works, and use your computer to print up sticky labels, even the most hysterical airline clerk will be hard pressed to harass you without looking like a complete ass. Even flying out of the People's Republic of Los Angeles, we have never had the slightest hitch with plastic boxes.

Pete



It is a good idea not to rely on verbal comments. See if they have a website and you can find and print out the relevant paragraphs of the rules. Otherwise visit one of their offices or see if they can fax you something.



That way you can carry the page with you and when you get version no. 3 you will have a better chance of "negotiating" your way through.



Remember connecting airlines might be a different company and have different rules. Also there is this deceitful modern practice of "re-badging" flight numbers so you are actually travelling on another airline from the one you thought you booked.



Qantas makes this easy and it is now required to give them notice and they supply a letter with the rules and permission by fax or post.



As I understand it there is a fairly universal rule from some international airline agreement but each airline also can modify that policy.



* 5 kg of ammo is pretty standard. Packaging is often stated as original manufacturers packaging or "its equivalent". The basic understanding is each round must be separated from the others by cardboard, plastic, foam etc and they will not rattle or set each others primers off.



* No more than 3 firearms is also pretty widespread, but some only allow 2. And deactivated and unloaded. In a solid lockable case.



* Ammo and firearms to be separated in different bags



I use a plastic lockable ammo box in a duffel because one day I believe I will find someone who objects to carrying ammo not in a hard suitcase. Therefore the plastic "toolbox". Metal is better but heavier.

NitroX sums it up well, from a practical point of view.

International airlines all use the same basic rule set, the International Air Transport Association "Dangerous Goods Regulations", which incorporate the ICAO "Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air". These cover such issues as acceptable DG classes, packaging, labelling, and quantities. This is where the 5kg limit per person/package comes from. Currently USD120, if you want your own copy.

But these are minimum standards - airlines are at liberty to impose additional restrictions. Or refuse outright to carry some items. Some do!

Here's an Australian CASA webpage which spells out the ammo basics.
And here are a few DG case studies, to illustrate why airlines are inclined to be picky about such things: incidents

Oldsarge is spot on regarding labelling, too. A very good idea is to include DG info on your label: I'd suggest the at least the UN Number [0012, for our sort of ammo] and Hazard Classification [1.4S].
Reference: UN Info
The appropriate Hazard Diamond symbol [like No. 2249 or 2250 on this page wouldn't hurt either. Doesn't have to be very large.

I've become accustomed to this sort of detail from consigning occasional DG [usually Class 3 or Class 8 though] to offshore oil platforms - the Bass Strait helicopter operations go by the same IATA rules.

Nitro X got it right. Print it off their website. When I last ran into problems I got out the printout and quoted word for word the company's rules and they quickly changed the subject. "D"

I just added the UN # and the Hazard Classification to my "custom" labels. Thanks. Those labels are starting to really look All-Pro.