Passengers

Helpful safety information for passengers - consult the information below for details about what can, and cannot, be carried on a passenger aircraft. If you have a question about this, consult your airline in the first instance.

FLYSMART – Pack smart – travel safe A web site to inform international airline passengers about security measures.
Aviation Safety Concerns? Use this contact information if you have concerns about aviation safety in New Zealand
In the Unlikely Event of ...
(268 KB)		 An article from the CAA's Vector magazine reminding passengers of the safety measures they should be aware of.

Passenger Screening for Potential Weapons

A number of measures have been introduced to protect air travellers from threats of terrorism and other criminal activities.

One of these measures is to prohibit passengers from taking certain items on their person, or in their carry-on luggage, into the cabin of an aircraft. Some (but not all) of these items can be put into passengers' checked luggage. Certain other items are classed as Dangerous Goods and must not be transported on aircraft at all.

You should check with your airline before travelling if you have any questions about Prohibited Items or Dangerous Goods. This is particularly important with regard to items such as firearms (Prohibited Items) and ammunition (Dangerous Goods).

It is an offence to take Potential Weapons on board an aircraft, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, regardless of the size of the aircraft (screening takes place for aircraft of over 90 seats in New Zealand).

Below is a list of Prohibited Items that must not be carried into the aircraft cabin, but that may be carried in checked baggage. This list is not exhaustive – for more information see   Direction to Search for Prohibited Items, but even this list cannot cover every situation – check with your airline, and do this in advance if possible.

Pointed/Edged Weapons and Sharp Objects

  • Axes and hatchets
  • Arrows anddarts
  • Crampons
  • Harpoons and spears
  • Ice axes and ice picks
  • Ice skates
  • Lockable or flick knives with blades of any length
  • Knives, both real and ceremonial knives, with blades of more than 6cm, made of metal or any other material strong enough to be used as a potential weapon
  • Meat cleavers
  • Machetes
  • Open razors and blades (not safety or disposable razors with blades enclosed in cartridge)
  • Sabres, swords and swordsticks
  • Scalpels
  • Scissors – blades more than 6cm (blunt or rounded-ended scissors less than 6cm allowed)
  • 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.

Blunt Instruments

  • Baseball and softball bats
  • Billiard, snooker and pool cues
  • Clubs or batons – rigid or flexible – e.g. Billy clubs, blackjacks, night sticks and batons
  • Cricket bats
  • Fishing rods
  • Golf clubs
  • Hockey sticks
  • Kayak and canoe paddles
  • Lacrosse sticks
  • Martial arts equipment e.g. knuckledusters, clubs, coshes, rice flails, num chucks, kubatons, kubasaunts
  • Skateboards

Firearms, Guns and Weapons

Note: Ammunition and charges for the items below must NOT be packed in checked baggage as they are Dangerous Goods

  • Air pistols, rifles and pellet, guns
  • All firearms (pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, etc)
  • Animal humane killers
  • Ball bearing guns
  • Catapults
  • Component parts of firearms (excluding telescopic sighting devices and sights)
  • Cross bows
  • Harpoon and spear guns
  • Industrial bolt and nail guns
  • Lighters shaped like a firearm – Lighters must NOT be in checked baggage
  • Replica and imitation firearms
  • Signal flare pistols
  • Starter pistols
  • Stun or shocking devices, e.g. cattle prods, ballistic conducted energy weapons (taser)
  • Toy guns of all types
Direction to Require Domestic Passenger Screening International passenger screening is specifically provided for in the Civil Aviation Act 1990.
Direction to Search for Prohibited Items Includes a list of Prohibited Items (note that some of these are Dangerous Goods and should NOT be placed in checked baggage).

Dangerous Goods

Dangerous Goods Explains about Dangerous Goods and lists items that may, and may not, be transported by aircraft.

Other Information for Passengers

Advice to Travellers A booklet produced by the New Zealand Customs Service
Safety Around Helicopters DVD Safety advice for anyone who may operate around helicopters.
Helpful Links Links to passenger information on the web sites of overseas aviation authorities
How to charter an aircraft  

Contact Information

Aviation Safety Concerns? Use this contact information if you have concerns about aviation safety in New Zealand
Contact the CAA All contact information for the CAA