What battery capacity/size is allowable/safe for air travel?

[Jacob Ryan]

Hi guys, what are your experiences with traveling with batteries?
I plan to take the camera and batteries to different countries, so I will have to either carry on these batteries or check them in.
Am I limited to carry batteries that are under 100W size? The FAA website seems to state that the batteries under 100W are okay, but any spare above that needs a permission.

I wonder what your experiences are with obtaining the "permission". Is the process cumbersome? what are the likelihood of the request for permission is granted/rejected?
This fact will greatly determine the battery capacity I'm getting.

Right now, I'm leaning towards the AB Cine 150 (especially after watching "Forged" by Phil. Fantastic work btw.)

Thanks for the help.

Jacob

 

[Phil Holland]

At the moment you need to check out individual airlines restrictions. There was a motion to pass a law that almost screwed every working professional recently that thankfully didn't pass.

Most allow 2X large capacity (larger than 100Wh) as carry-ons with 2X or more sub-100Wh batteries.

I fly a lot and security cleared my 4X 150Wh batteries recently to Florida and back to LA. On big shows, we ship freight to get a lot of the gear up there and none of this is an issue.

The important thing is to comply with whatever they tell you to do.

 

[Sergei Franklin]

https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/hazmat_safety/more_info/?hazmat=7

If you travel I would buy batteries under 100Wh as there is no restriction on how many you can take on board.

 

[Jacob Ryan]

thanks for the responses. In addition to the AB, I'll pick up some cheap slim under 100wh batteries for travel.

 

[Jon Shaw]

Australia is unlimited under 100 kw, 2 of above 100 and all must be below 160 kw

 

[Ketch Rossi]

You can NOT fly anything bigger then 140WH, 2 on charger + 1 on camera battery plate...

However if they are above the 140WH but under 160WH they are still ok...

ABSOLUTELY forbidden the larger 270WH, this MUST only be shipped via CARGO, NOT allowed on Passenger planes!

I have traveled extensively around the globe with up to "12" 100HD (100WH) Batteries with absolutely NO issues form any and all of the various Airlines... This of course where ALWAYS "carry on"...


Current changes in FAA regulations state that NO Lithium batteries of ANY kind can be stored as Luggage UNDER a Passenger Plane, with fines up to $250,000.00!!

 

[T_Freundlich]

See here for IATA passenger regulations on the topic:

http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/cargo/dgr/Documents/passenger-lithium-battery.pdf

 

[Jacob Ryan]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. It is very helpful.

 

[Clint Lealos]

Just a word of warning. Officials in Hong Kong seized all our lithium ion batteries when traveling through that airport. I mean all of them. The biggest battery we had was Canon BP-975s for a C100! They insisted we could not even bring on GoPro batts. That was about 1 year ago and despite all our efforts the batteries remain in Hong Kong.

 

[Patrick Tresch]

Just a word of warning. Officials in Hong Kong seized all our lithium ion batteries when traveling through that airport. I mean all of them. The biggest battery we had was Canon BP-975s for a C100! They insisted we could not even bring on GoPro batts. That was about 1 year ago and despite all our efforts the batteries remain in Hong Kong.

So the don't follow iata regulations? What was the base for their allegations?

Pat