When flying it is important that certain items are carried in limited quantities or not carried at all. Although something might seem harmless, under certain conditions it might prove to be hazardous.

Below is a list of what is and isn’t allowed on board. Please note that certain items are only allowed in your checked-in luggage, that is, they are not allowed as part of your hand luggage. If your article is not listed, or you are in any doubt, please get in touch, or at the latest, inform the Air Malta staff at check-in.

 

Banned and restricted items

 

Banned, restricted and dangerous goods are articles or substances that are capable of posing a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. If you wish to carry or transport any such goods, you should be aware of the regulations and any action/s you might need to take.

 

Items forbidden for carriage on Air Malta by passengers

 

The following list covers all those items that are forbidden to be carried anywhere on our flights:
  • Objects with a sharp point or sharp edge - knives with blades of more than 6cm, axes, swords, etc.
  • Disabling devices - mace, pepper spray, stun guns, tasers, etc.
  • Explosives - fireworks, flares, detonators, fuses, dynamite, etc. (except small arms ammunition – see ‘Restricted Items’ below.)
  • Security-type attaché cases containing dangerous goods - pyrotechnic devices, etc.
  • Electro shock weapons - e.g. Tasers, containing dangerous goods such as explosives, compressed gases, lithium batteries, etc.
  • Blunt instruments capable of causing injury
  • Workmen’s tools
  • Strike anywhere matches
  • Flammable gas cylinders
  • Flammable liquids - paint, petrol, lighter refills, solvents, varnish, etc.
  • Flammable solids - firelighters, Chinese lanterns, etc.
  • Substances liable to spontaneous combustion - Phosphorous
  • Substances that emit flammable gases in contact with water
  • Oxidising materials - bleach, peroxides, some fertilisers, etc.
  • Corrosives materials – acids, alkalis, wet cell batteries, etc.
  • Toxic (poisonous) substances - weed killer, insecticides, etc.
  • Swegways, Swagways and Hoverboards

Please note: At some airports, prohibited items may vary. If in any doubt, please check with the relevant airport authorities in advance.

 

Air Malta Security Prohibited Items List

 

Click here for the comprehensive list of prohibited articles on person or in hand luggage
 

Restricted items requiring notification to Air Malta


The following list covers the items that may be carried on flights with Air Malta but require the airline's approval prior to flying and where quantities or regulation of the items are restricted:
Please note: If you are planning to make a booking that includes a flight operated by an airline other than Air Malta, please contact us before booking to check that the other airline is able to carry your dangerous goods.
  • Firearms and/or Ammunition – see Carriage of Firearms and Ammunition below.
  • Camping stoves and fuel containers
  • Solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) 
  • Life jackets - containing non-flammable gas cylinders
  • Oxygen and other small cylinders for medical use
  • Wheelchairs and mobility aids – powered with either non-spillable, spillable or collapsible lithium batteries 
  • Heat-producing articles – underwater torches, soldering irons, etc.
  • Mercury-filled items - barometers, thermometers, etc.
  • Avalanche rescue pack
  • Insulated packages containing refrigerated liquid nitrogen
  • Chemical agent monitoring equipment
  • Portable medical electronic devices – automated external defibrillators (AED), nebulisers, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) containing lithium batteries.
  • Lithium ion batteries – with a Watt-hour rating exceeding 100 Wh but not exceeding 160 Wh.

 

Restricted items needing no notification

 

The following list covers all items that may be carried on Air Malta flights but are still restricted to specific limits on quantities or dimensions.
Please note: If you are planning to make a booking that includes a flight operated by an airline other than Air Malta, please contact us before booking to ensure at the other airline is able to carry your items. 
  • Aerosols - non-flammable for sporting and home use
  • Non-radioactive medicinal or toilet articles - hairsprays, perfumes, colognes, medicines, etc.
  • Spare lithium batteries (less than 100 Wh)
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Non-flammable, non-toxic gas cylinders - e.g. for operation of mechanical limbs, bicycle tyre inflation devices (max. capacity 50ml)
  • Devices containing lithium cells or batteries - laptop computers, cameras, camcorders, etc.
  • A few simple measures can be taken to ensure that spare batteries are carried safely:
    • Always pack spare batteries in your hand baggage
    • Where possible keep spare batteries in their original retail packaging (e.g. cardboard/plastic blister packs) which ensure that the terminals are protected.
    • If the original packaging is not available, insulate the battery terminals so they cannot come into contact with any metallic objects:
      • pack each battery in its own protective plastic bag (e.g. sturdy freezer or sandwich bag) or
      • cover the terminals with insulation tape.
    • It is strongly recommended that the above measures are taken for batteries with protruding or sharp terminals.
       
  • Radio-isotopic cardiac pacemakers
  • Hair-curlers containing hydrocarbon gas
  • Cigarette lighters
  • Safety matches

For clarification on the allowed quantities, please contact us.

 

Lithium Batteries

 

Lithium batteries have become such a common, everyday item that they have been taken for granted by consumers, with little thought given to the precautions that need to be taken to ensure lithium batteries do not pose a hazard in air transport. This issue can present itself either in passenger baggage but even more so in air cargo.

The carriage of damaged, defective or recalled lithium batteries or devices is prohibited on-board Air Malta aircraft.

Lithium batteries are defined as dangerous goods by the United Nations, which specifies the very stringent manufacturing and testing requirements the batteries must meet. Specific requirements to ensure that they can be carried safely by air in both cargo and baggage are determined by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) and these are then reflected in IATA’s Dangerous Goods Regulations. For more information about Lithium Batteries please click here.