I have a Phantom 3 and would like to bring the drone to travel overseas.

I decided to call the local airline office and confirm about the rules of traveling with a drone.

To my surprise they told me a drone is totally not allowed, neither with checked-in baggage nor cabin baggage...
Is this possible?

The airline is Etihad Airways and i can't seem to find any restriction on a drone on their website...

What should I do next?

Thank you.

The restriction may be because of the LiPo batteries, and not the drone itself, but different carriers have different rules. Personally I've never heard of this with an airline. Have you debated calling back and seeing if you get the same response twice?  I wouldn't be surprised if you got a different response a second time. Lastly, while they may not have drones on their restrictions, check what their restrictions are on batteries. Virtually all airlines that I'm aware of won't allow the batteries in checked baggage, and carry-on rules vary.

Were you able to bring the drone or batteries onto the plane? If so, was it carry on or check in? I have an etihad flight coming up and wouldn't be happy leaving anything behind.

Any update on this? Will be flying from Australia to Europe with Etihad soon and would like to know if I can bring my drone? Thx

I saw this on the Etihad website...   http://www.baggage-allowance.inf ... s-baggage-allowance

SUKHJINDER Posted on 11-Feb-2017

Hi m flying with Etihad to New Delhi .. I wanna know can I carry phantom 4 Pro Drone with me ? If I can where I have to putt this in my luggage or carry bag ? I have got one spare battery as well .. can you let me Knoa ASAP Thanks

ADMIN REPLY :
Airline does not have a problem with carriage of drones. These have to be taken in check in baggage. But, the rules and regulations for every destination country differ on carriage of drones. So, it would be better if you could ascertain whether drones are permitted to be carried in arrival country or not. With respect to batteries, these are generally required to be kept safely and separately, and if this is a Lithium ion battery then it has to be taken only in cabin baggage.

pasaytenpete Posted at 2017-5-21 22:07
I saw this on the Etihad website...   http://www.baggage-allowance.info/etihad-airways-baggage-allowance

SUKHJINDER Posted on 11-Feb-2017

And that is the reply almost all airlines provide. I suggest that the OP may have got someone on the phone who did not know what they are talking about. The best way to deal with this issue is to contact the airline and get them to write to you outlining their policy on drones and batteries, then carry the letter with you when you check in.

Why not FedEx your drone to your travel destination?

Hi friends! I just made it with my drone. I am flying with etihad to london. I start from kuala lumpur to abu dhabi and then transit to london. Everything is good. At kuala lumpur KLIA airport, no one questioned me and just let me pass through. However, the staff at abu dhabi just asked me 2 questions only. (Question 1: what is the energy of battery? Question 2: do you separate the battery with the drone?). After that, my last stop was heathrow airport. Also,no one is questioning. I just took my drone out and put it on the tray. That's all. At first, I was so nervous and afraid that the airport staff will take away my drone even though I have asked permission from etihad. I brought 2 batteries with a total of 136Wh energy and kept them in the lipo bags. I kept them separately (1 battery in 1 bag).

I asked etihad in facebook messenger live chat. This is etihad's reply.

(Hey Molly, thanks for your question. Drones powered by lithium batteries may be carried as cabin baggage provided that it fits the following conditions:

-Watt hours should be shown on the battery itself, and must be 100Wh or less.
-Two spare batteries may be carried if it fits the conditions above
-Guest should agree not to operate the drone for any reasons on airport property or on board the aircraft

You must declare the drone during check-in. Depending on the airport, different regulations may apply regarding drones.

Thanks. *nic)


My advice is ask permission from etihad first before you start your trip. Print out the whole conversation (live chat or email) in case you face some trouble at airport. Pack your battery in the lipo guard bag for safety purpose.

By the way, my camera drone is phantom 3 standard. Currently I am in Switzerland.I have been travelling with my drone by AirAsia, Etihad and Ryanair. So far everything is perfect and lovely. My next stop is Manchester by Easyjet.