I understand that Emirates is starting direct non-stop service from Houston to Dubai in December. That sounds like a great option for those flying to Africa from the Great State of Texas. What has been the experience of others in flying on Emirates with firearms? Are they considered reasonably firearms friendly? I would presume that there are good connections out of Dubai to places like Dar and Harare too?

It's twue!

http://www.emirates.com/us/english/destinations_offers/...houston/houston.aspx

Mike,

Here you go:

Sporting weapons and ammunition

Firearms designed for sporting purposes, such as target pistols and rifles, air guns, safari rifles, hunting rifles, etc., may be carried as checked baggage on Emirates® flights under the following conditions:

The firearm must be completely unloaded and, if possible, dismantled and packed inside a suitcase or standard gun case.

Ammunition must be securely stored in a strong, sealed box packed inside a suitcase and surrounded by other contents. The suitcase must not bear an ‘Explosive’ label.

The maximum gross weight of the ammunition carried by any single passenger is 11 pounds (5 kg). Passengers traveling in groups must carry ammunition in their own separate bags, with no single bag carrying more than the 11-pound (5-kg) limit.

The following special conditions apply to passengers wishing to carry firearms on flights into or through Dubai:

Passengers who wish to bring firearms and ammunition into the UAE must obtain prior clearance from UAE Customs and the UAE Ministry of Defence. To obtain this clearance, passengers must contact these government departments directly.

For transfer and transit passengers who are connecting to onward flights, prior clearance to travel with firearms and ammunition must be obtained from the Dubai Airport Police Department and the Department of Civil Aviation.

Also, Section 8.4 from the following document:
http://www.emirates.com/us/english/Images/COC-eng_2006_tcm272-194795.pdf

Certainly sounds like they are less bureaucratic than BA or AA.

If you have any problems, call Walter directly.

I flew emirates out of JFK to Dar via Dubai this last July.

after you book a ticket you call Emirates 1800 number and tell them that you will be flying with a 'sporting' fire arm. They'll ask for the make, model, calibre and serial number etc.

If they don't ask for those items then call back till you get a rep who knows what's going on. I had to call back a couple of times to get thru to a rep who had a clue.

Emeriates then takes care of the firearms clearnce thru Dubai. I just checked the rifle thru at JFK and picked it up in Dar, no prob. Return was the same.

call Emerates a few weeks before departure to make sure all is good.

I highly recomend Emerates, decent food, lots of entertainmant (in flight vids etc.). the only draw back is that the coach seats are a little skimpy on leg room but no more so than any other airline.

If I had it to do over , I'd lay over for a few days in Dubai, it is a cross between Disney land and vegas. A lay over may complicate firearms clearance since you are not just passing thru.

PM me is you have any questions.

Sid

I think Emirates are great.
My wife and I flew Manchester (UK) to Johannesburg via Dubia on Emirates and then on to Harare by British Airways/Comair in July. (I think a previous posting was incorrect as they dont fly direct from Dubia to Harare.)I provided all details of firearms before travelling and they were expecting us at Manchester and all went well.
Please note that if you change airlines in Johannesburg you have to go to the transfer desk and request your firearms to be transfered to the next flight even if your bags have been booked straight through. The airlines do not do the firearms transfer themselves and have to make a specific request to an independant security firm that they use.
If you do travel Emirates it is worth saving up that bit extra and going business class. It is the best in the world and yet ironically it is the cheapest business class fare that you are likely to find.We found it to be a real pleasure.