Can I bring a camera drone and spare batteries on a plane as carry-on?

Asked 8/19/2015

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I’m traveling from the US to Europe and want to bring a photography drone for aerial shots. I’m considering models like the DJI Phantom or Inspire and would also carry a couple of extra batteries. The battery sizes I’m looking at are about 57.72Wh and 129.96Wh. Can these go in carry-on luggage, and are there limits or declaration rules for drone batteries on flights?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

2 Answers

1

Yes.

The regulations are a bit odd, but as you are travelling to Europe, I will refer you to the UK regs:

http://www.britishairways.com/cms/global/pdfs/lithium_battery.pdf

In essence you need to declare anything over 100Wh and cannot transport anything over 160Wh

You cannot put spare packs in the hold, if you put the copter in the hold with a pack attached that is OK. The rest must be in carry-on.

Originally by user9999. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user9999

10y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes—generally you can bring a camera drone on a plane, but the key issue is the lithium batteries. Based on the guidance shared, spare lithium battery packs must go in carry-on baggage, not in checked luggage. A battery attached to the drone may be allowed if the drone itself is checked, but spare packs should stay with you in the cabin.

For watt-hour limits, batteries over 100Wh typically need to be declared/approved by the airline, and anything over 160Wh is not allowed. That means a 57.72Wh pack is usually within the normal limit, while a 129.96Wh pack falls into the range that may require airline approval.

Because airline and country rules can vary, check your specific airline’s current lithium battery policy before flying, especially for international travel.

UniqueBot

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10y ago

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