My wife Hailey and I recently flew from San Diego to Wisconsin to purchase a car. The drive back was over 3700 miles of family visits, national parks, state parks, and drone flying (not in those national parks, of course). This was my first time taking a drone on an airplane, so I thought I'd write a detailed post on the information I found and my experience.
Can you bring a drone on an airplane? The short answer is yes, airlines let you bring drones on the plane, and TSA allows drones through the security checkpoint. It's not usually the drones that are the issue, but the Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries that the airlines care about. Read on for the complete guide for traveling with a drone.
Table of Contents
TSA's stance on drones
The Travel Security Administration (TSA) has a section on their website that lists what is allowed through the security checkpoints. When it comes to drones, here is what they say:
“Drones are allowed through the checkpoint. Please check with your airline for their policy.”
-TSA
Now, although the above quote explicitly states that the TSA allows drones through the checkpoint, the next section goes on to say that in the end
Consumer
The airline's stance on drones
As mentioned above, TSA allows you to bring a drone and its batteries through the checkpoint, but some airlines have differing policies on drones and LiPo batteries. The policies of each airline are based on the FAA battery handbook. Here is what some of the large airlines say about drones and LiPo batteries.
American Airlines
American Airlines drone and battery policy
Drone: You can bring the drone as a carry-on if is less than 22 x 14 x 9 inches / 56 x 36 x 23 centimeters, or you can put the drone in a checked bag.
Batteries: AA asks that you remove the batteries from the checked bag and place them in your carry-on in separate plastic bags.
- Less than 100 Wh – Unlimited quantity in carry-on baggage
- 100 – 160 Wh – 2 spares in carry-on baggage
- 160 – 300 Wh – Contact Special Assistance
Delta Airlines
I couldn't find an area on Delta's website that talked specifically about drones, but people have flown on delta without having any problems. Delta does have quite a bit to say about batteries though.
Batteries: Batteries up to 160 watt-hours are permitted. The battery currently in the drone may be checked with the drone, but any spares must be put in carry-on luggage. Up to two (
Interestingly enough, their policy says nothing about LiPo batteries less than 100Wh, which most consumer drones have; unless we're talking about larger drones like the Inspire 1.
Delta would like you to either place each spare in its own plastic bag, or put tape over the terminals.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines battery policy
Like Delta, I couldn't find a specific drone policy on the Southwest website, but here's their stance on batteries.
Batteries: Effective January 15, 2018, Southwest allows each traveler to carry-on up to 20 LiPo batteries. Wahoo, ten straight hours of drone flying! That is all I found on LiPo batteries under their official battery section, but I did find a comment by an employee in a Southwest forum. Here it is:
Since drones are not banned by TSA, they are acceptable for travel as long as they meet Southwest Airlines carryon sizing requirements (find out more about those here). Also, it would be considered an electronic device and allowed. From a battery standpoint, if batteries are lithium-ion, they must be 100 watt-hours or less. Spare batteries must be transported in carry-on baggage and protected from short circuit.
-Southwest Employee
United Airlines
United Airlines battery policy
Like with other airlines, United does not have a specific drone policy. Here is what they say about batteries:
Batteries: If you check the drone, the battery that is inserted in that drone is acceptable. No spare batteries are allowed to be checked. Each passenger can carry up to two (2) spare LiPo batteries between 100-160Wh in their carry-on luggage. No quantity limit is listed for batteries under 100Wh.
Each individual spare battery needs to be protected in order to prevent a short circuit. You can accomplish this by placing each battery in a plastic bag, placing tape over the terminal, putting the battery in a protective pouch or in its original packaging.
JetBlue
JetBlue has less to say about batteries than most other airlines, and nothing to say about drones.
Batteries: Spare LiPo batteries are not permitted in checked bags, but up to two (2) batteries that do not exceed 160Wh are permitted in carry-on luggage.
You can either place tape over the battery terminals or place them in individual plastic bags.
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines battery policy
Similar to other airlines, Alaska does not speak about drones, but they have a clearly stated battery policy.
Batteries: You may leave the battery inserted in the drone if you are checking the drone, but no spare batteries are allowed to be checked. You can bring an unlimited amount of LiPo batteries less than 100Wh in your carry-on luggage, and up to two (2) batteries between 100-160Wh per person.
Spare batteries in the carry-on luggage must either have non-conductive tape covering the terminals or the batteries should be stored in their original packaging or an insulated compartment.
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines drone and battery policy
Spirit has a drone and battery policy that is slightly different than most other airlines.
Drone: Not that you would want to put it in a soft case if checking the drone, but Spirit
Batteries: Other airlines let you leave one battery inserted in the drone if you check it, but Spirit says no LiPo drone batteries may be checked. A “reasonable” number of batteries under 100Wh may be brought in your carry-on luggage. There is nothing about batteries larger than 100Wh, so if you have an Inspire or another drone with 100+Wh batteries I'd recommend reaching out to Spirit directly.
Like with other airlines, Spirit would like you to cover the battery terminals with tape, place them in individual plastic bags/pouches, or store them in the original packaging.
Frontier
Frontier does not speak about drones on their website, but I flew with them about two weeks ago (September 2018) and I had no issue when I brought my drone on-board.
Batteries: Frontier states that you may check a LiPo battery if it is installed in the device. They say that you may bring up to two (2) LiPo batteries in your carry-on luggage if they are protected. You can ensure that they are protected by either placing non-conductive tape over the terminals, placing them in original packaging or in individual plastic baggies. Frontier does not mention anything about the watt-hours of the LiPo batteries.
Allegiant Air
To be honest, Allegiant Air seems to be all over the map with their drone and battery policy. Their website says nothing about drones, but while browsing through forums I read about a guy who was initially told by Allegiant Air that no drones were permitted. Allegiant then told him that devices without removable LiPo batteries were not allowed to be checked. Umm, what about laptops, tablets, portable chargers, ect.?
Batteries: As previously stated, Allegiant Air does not allow any LiPo batteries in checked baggage, whether the batteries are stored in their respective devices or not. Up to two (2), LiPo batteries are permitted in your carry-on bag as long as they do not exceed 100Wh, and are protected from short circuit.
Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines drone and battery policy
So you finally get to take that Hawaii trip you've always dreamt of and would hate to leave the drone behind. With some of the prettiest scenery in the world, you better be bringing that Mavic…Spark, Phantom or Inspire…I don't discriminate.
Batteries: Hawaiian Airlines does a pretty good job stating their policies. They actually mention drones on their website, which is more that can be said for most other airlines. When it comes to the batteries, they state that each passenger can carry up to two (2) spare batteries in their carry-on baggage. The only LiPo battery allowed to be checked is the one installed in the drone.
When bringing the spare batteries in your carry-on bag, make sure that each battery is protected. You can achieve this by placing non-conductive tape over the terminals, placing each battery in an individual plastic bag, insulated compartment or in the original packaging.
Watt-hours of batteries
Since some airlines are picky about the watt-hours of LiPo batteries, I've created a table with each DJI drone and their battery sizes.
| Drone | Watt-hours (Wh) |
|---|---|
| Spark | 16.87 |
| Mavic Pro/Platinum | 43.6 |
| Mavic Air | 27.43 |
| Mavic 2 Pro/Zoom | 59.29 |
| Phantom 3 Series | 68 |
| Phantom 4 | 81.3 |
| Phantom 4 Pro/Adv/V2.0 | 89.2 |
| Inspire 1/Pro | 99.9 or 129.96 (optional) |
| Inspire 2 | 97.58 |
Checked bag vs. carry-on
Question: would you rather go for a round in a tumble dryer or be an item in a checked bag? Sure, the answers to that would be subjective, but I’d be willing to bet that it would be a close to even split.
Checking your drone should be the last choice. Those bags get tossed around constantly, and if they make it to their final destination you can usually count on them being late.
In addition to the lack of care for checked bags, you have to recall the battery issue. Most airlines will allow you to bring a drone in a checked bag that has the battery inserted in it, but no spares are permitted.
If you do have to check your drone, I’d strongly suggest using a hard-shelled case.
Another option is to put your soft drone bag or backpack in your large checked suitcase and surround in with clothes and other padded items.
Packing the drone
Getting your drone ready while still at home shouldn’t be a difficult endeavor. Here are a few tips to make the process a smooth one.
Battery prep: Airlines would like you to make sure the spare LiPo drone batteries do not short circuit while in your carry-on bag. You can choose one of these three ways to do this:
- Cover the battery terminals with non-conductive tape.
- Place the batteries in insulated compartments of your bag.
- Put each battery in individual plastic bags.
When I flew with my P4 Advanced, I put tape on the battery terminals which then went into their own insulated compartments. Sure, it’s good that I went above and beyond with battery prep, but it didn’t make a difference while at the airport as neither TSA or the airline I flew on even glanced at my drone batteries.
When researching flying with a drone, I got conflicting information in the area of how much charge the battery should have while on the plane. Some said to deplete your batteries before flying, while others said this wasn’t necessary.
As I dove deeper into this area, I found the source of the opposing views. DJI drone manuals tell you to deplete the batteries before bringing them on airplanes, but there is nothing in the FAA battery handbook, TSA battery handbook, or individual airline battery policies that says this is necessary.
The idea is that a battery with little to no charge would be less of a fire hazard than a fully charged battery.
I completely charged my three batteries as I wanted them ready to go when I got to my destination and had no issues at the airport.
Fitting the drone: most drone pilots have a bag, backpack or case that is designed to carry their particular drone. If you find yourself without one of the aforementioned storage types, do your best to surround your drone with soft items like clothes. This is especially imperative if you have to check the drone. With that being said, don’t go overboard and cram so many clothes around your drone that you crack a prop arm or something.
Here’s a list of things to remember to pack:
- Drone
- Batteries
- Remote Controller
- Cables (device to RC, AC to RC, etc.)
- Chargers
- Memory cards. You may want to transfer any old content to your computer or external hard drive before bringing it on your trip.
- Range extenders
- Monitor sunshade hood
- Range extender
- RC lanyard
- ND filters
Check out my Recommended Gear page that has all of the items listed above.
Hardshell vs soft cases
I've already touched on this briefly, but let's do a recap. If you have to check your drone, I'd strongly suggest using a hardshell case. If you are able to bring your drone as a carry-on, there isn't much difference between using a soft vs. hard case.
On the flight I recently took, I put my P4 Advanced in its backpack and the long walks through the airport were a breeze. Here are the backpacks/bags I use and recommend.
While at the airport
Airport experiences may vary from airport to airport and TSA agent to TSA agent, but the good news is that drones have been around for a while now and a
My recent San Diego airport experience was about as smooth as could be. I was bringing my Phantom 4 Advanced in a backpack with three batteries in total.
While going through security, the TSA agent actually listed “drones” while giving his speech about what should be taken out of its case and placed in a separate tray. I put the P4 Advanced in a tray, left the two spare batteries in the backpack, and the lady operating the conveyor belt didn’t bat an eye at the drone or backpack. First hurdle — check.
My wife and I flew on Frontier airlines. I had a laptop case as a personal item and the drone backpack as my carry-on. If you’ve ever flown on a smaller aircraft, you may have had the airline employee asking people to “check” their carry-on bags at the gate due to limited overhead space.
You really don’t want them to check your drone bag (especially if it's a soft case), so here are a couple of tips if you’re faced with that situation:
- Board early on. It’s generally the people who board last that find themselves out of luck in the overhead space department, in which case you may be forced to check the drone. While purchasing your airline ticket, try to purchase one towards the front of the plane as these passengers usually board first.
- Wait at a neighboring gate until it’s time to board. Airline staff members occasionally walk around and ask people with larger carry-on’s if they wouldn’t mind checking their bag. While giving them your boarding pass, try to be inconspicuous about your drone bag (not in a suspicious kinda way). I’ve had them ask me to check my large backpack before at this stage of the boarding process.
- If they do ask you to check your drone bag at the gate, politely inform them that you have LiPo batteries in the bag that aren’t allowed to be checked. As you saw above, each airline has a clearly stated battery policy. If necessary, you can pull up the webpage with the battery policy of the airline you are flying on to show the employee. Being respectful goes a long
way and you (hopefully) shouldn’t have any problems.
We flew on a larger airplane with plenty of overhead space and my P4 Advanced backpack fit with ease.
Pro tip: if you are flying with a Phantom that came in that grey styrofoam case, you can put the drone in that case and bring it on board as your personal item. This allows you to use another bag as your carry-on.
If you have something smaller like a Mavic, the “what am I going to put my drone in” question is a bit easier to answer as you have more options. Heck, you can put it in your coat pocket if you want 😉
The average individual may not know about DJI, but having a drone bag with “DJI” on it may make it a target for those who are familiar with drones. I’m not dissuading you from buying a DJI bag, but it’s certainly something to think about.
International travel
If you noticed, this post focused on traveling with your drone in the United States. Each country has different drone laws, so without getting too deep into traveling internationally with your drone, here are a few tips:
- Research the drone laws of the country you plan to visit. Do you have to register the drone there? Are drones even legal there?
- Educate yourself on that countries customs process. Some will require you to pay a tax or fee to bring your drone in.
- Browse the forums for other peoples experiences who have visited or live in the country you plan to visit.
I was fortunate enough to win a trip to Cabo San Lucas earlier this year from my work. Because there was a chance I would have to pay a duty tax on my drone if I was randomly selected for a bag check in Mexico, I opted not to take my drone. Before traveling, I read about other people that were required to pay that duty tax to get through customs, while others passed right through without having their bags checked. I didn't want to risk it, so I left the drone behind.
Recap on important notes
Ok, so by now you may be overwhelmed by all of the info I've thrown at you. I'll break it down into a few helpful and concise steps.
- Are you flying out of the country? If so, research their drone policies before making the decision to throw your drone in while packing for your upcoming trip.
- What airline are you flying with? Research their drone and LiPo battery policies.
- Pack your drone and gear in the most appropriate bag/case for your trip. If you have to check the drone, make sure it's in a hard case! Make sure that the case you plan to bring as a carry-on will fit in the planes overhead compartment. This info can be found on the airline's website.
- Don't ever put spare batteries in your checked luggage.
- Protect your spare batteries from short circuiting by placing non-conductive tape over their terminals, putting them in individual plastic bags, or in insulated compartments.
- Be respectful to TSA agents while at the airport. Have their drone policy open on your phone in case they are unsure about what the policy is.
- Don't let the airline check your drone carry-on bag while at the gate. Explain to them that the bag contains LiPo batteries that are not to be checked.
- Relax and have fun. Traveling with your drone will be painless if you follow the above seven steps.
Trevor's Take
Taking a drone on an airplane is something that many of us drone pilots will likely do at some point. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about the whole process while preparing for the recent flight my wife and I took. As I researched more and more, I was put at ease with the “success stories” of other drone pilots. Because I thoroughly researched the subject and was well prepared, the flight was a breeze.
Have you traveled with a drone? What was your experience like? Let us hear about it in the comments below!
