The great summer getaway is nearly upon us, and as we shop for new holiday items and draw up packing lists, take heed of the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) reminder about dangerous goods which must not be carried on aircraft.

Dangerous goods include items such as culinary blowtorches, fireworks and other explosives as well as substances such as petrol, lighter fuel and weed killer that must not be carried in either hand luggage or checked in baggage.

Geoff Leach, Manager of the Dangerous Goods Office at the CAA, said: “The majority of passengers are very careful when packing their luggage and know which items can and cannot be taken on board. Whilst we are all made aware of the security restrictions imposed, passengers still need to be reminded that some items, which are relatively innocuous in everyday use, are capable of posing a serious risk to the occupants of an aircraft, no matter where they are carried on the aircraft.”

The CAA draws passengers’ attention to the risks of fire from inappropriately packed batteries and battery powered devices, which if accidentally activated could cause a fire. In February 2007, a fire in an overhead locker in an aircraft that had just taken off from New York JFK Airport was believed to have been caused by a battery which had short-circuited and overheated.

Dangerous goods that must NOT be taken on board are:

• explosives, such as fireworks, flares, toy gun caps;
• gases, such as culinary blowtorches, camping or compressed gas cylinders, tear gas, mace or CS gas devices;
• flammable materials such as petrol, lighter fuel, paint, thinners, non-safety matches, firelighters;
• poisons, such as weed killers, insecticides; • corrosives, such as filled car batteries.

For more information on prohibited items check out www.caa.co.uk/dangerousgoods