Air India Airlines Rules for Carriage of Special Baggage

---

From delivering air mails to becoming one of the most preferred carriers in the nation, Air India airlines has come a long way. The dream of the famous industrialist, JRD Tata, was realised on October 15th, 1932 when the flag carrier took its first mail-carrying flight to Mumbai from Karachi. That year itself, it started carrying passengers, and by the year-end it had transported over 150. The induction of a Boeing 707 in its fleet in 1960 gave it the distinction of becoming the first airline in Asia to get a jetliner. In the coming years, it expanded its fleet and network in order to make better profits. It formulated new policies and made more provisions, some of which are related to the carriage of special baggage. Below given is the information, which travellers can look through:

Sports and Musical Instruments

By booking flight tickets with the airline, flyers are allowed to carry one golf bag with a pair of shoes. Such kits, the weight of which is less than or equal to 15 kg, will carry a fee, equal to 6 kg excess baggage as per the travelling class. Skiing enthusiasts can have one pair of skis, boots or one snowboard in the cargo bay of the aircraft. For every skiing kit, a charge equal to 3 kg of excess baggage, depending upon the boarding class, will have to be paid. Those, who like fishing, can take an angling kit to any destination they are flying to. Taxes, equalling that paid for 4 kg excess luggage, will apply for every fishing kit.

Any extra weight will entail a normal excess luggage fee, which is calculated for every excess kg. Travelling to the USA or Canada with a golfing or surf boarding kit will entail 50 per cent charges as additional baggage fee. Any equipment, consisting of only one snowboard, a pair of shoes or ski and exceeding the baggage allowance, will make passengers liable to pay 33 per cent excess luggage charges. Musical instruments can only be carried as checked baggage, and the free luggage allowance cannot be invoked.

Firearms

On the domestic flights of Air India airlines, a licensed pistol, shotgun or revolver with 50 rounds can be carried. To do so, travellers have to declare these at the airport check-in counter and meet all safety requirements. They also need to fill in a form, which the airport manager will verify. Passengers will have to pay INR 5000 plus taxes per gun or every cache of 50 bullets. Security personnel, who are flying with arms under orders from their commanding officer, are exempt from these taxes. Sportspersons, representing the country in a shooting event, also do not have to pay the fee. They are required to produce their ID, arms license and an official document from the President or the sports club, sponsoring him or her.

On international routes, the prevailing gun laws of the destination country will also apply in addition to the above-mentioned rules. In this case, people will also have to obtain a permit from the nation they are flying to and produce it whenever the need arises. On such flights, the carrier will take USD 100 plus taxes for every gun or cartel of 50 rounds, carried on board.

---