India
Archived — This article has been archived. The information may be outdated.
Licensed firearms must travel in the aircraft hold
Firstpost··17 Aug
Indian rules allow some licensed firearms on flights only if declared at check-in, kept unloaded, and packed separately from ammunition in hold baggage, not in the cabin. Air India Express permits one licensed revolver, pistol or shotgun within a 5 kg cap. Air India charges Rs 5000 per firearm on domestic flights. Defence and police personnel have separate exemptions.
Prism
What It Means For You
- If you fly with a licensed gun in India, it must be declared, unloaded, and placed in checked baggage; it cannot go in the cabin.
- Air India Express passengers can carry one licensed handgun or shotgun within a 5 kg limit, subject to documents and packing rules.
- Anyone who handles a declared weapon at screening can see two Varanasi cargo screeners injured when a passenger pulled the trigger during the check.
What's Happening
- On 16 August 2026 a declared pistol discharged during screening at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi.
- Two AAICLAS screeners were hospitalised; the Civil Aviation Ministry said the round ricocheted and that operations were not halted.
- Varanasi police detained the passenger, Kamlesh Kedarnath Rai of Azamgarh, and BCAS opened a procedure review.
What The Screening Staff Said Happened
- Suman Kumari said staff must verify documents, count ammunition, weigh the weapon and check whether it is loaded.
- Rohit Raj said the passenger removed the magazine, saw it was loaded, then pressed the trigger pointing down.
- Air India separately lists a domestic fee of Rs 5000 per firearm and 50 cartridges for passengers who are not in the exempted service categories.
all-newseditors-picks
