Controlled and banned items

While we do have universal standards, regulations on travelling with liquids, aerosols, gels, and powders in your cabin luggage may vary depending on your flight route. Please visit our dedicated page for more information, including regulations on Duty Free liquid items.

Pack your commercial or lithium batteries in the safest way possible with our list of helpful tips and regulations.
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Bringing home a little treat from your holidays? You may bring alcoholic beverages back with you, as long as they are in their retail packaging, with an alcoholic content of 24-70%. Each passenger is entitled to a total net quantity of 5 litres per person, either in your checked or cabin baggage. If your drinks have 24% or less alcohol content, they are not governed by the prior restrictions. Please be aware that if you take alcoholic items in your hand luggage, rules for liquids, aerosols and gases still apply.

Note: Different countries have their local customs regulations for bringing alcoholic beverages into the country. You are advised to check with the relevant authorities of the country you are travelling to if you plan to carry alcohol beverages in your cabin or checked bag.

With the exception of China, Bangladesh and India, a passenger can carry one small packet of safety matches or a cigarette lighter on one’s person, which is intended for use by the individual only.

If you’re travelling to/from USA, you may not travel with torch lighters. Please refer to the TSA website, Link opens in a new window operated by external parties and may not conform to the same accessibility policies as Cathay Pacific for more information.

Please note: lighter fuel and refills are classed as a banned item.

Inflated objects, including inflated balls for sporting purposes such as basketballs, can only be accepted in checked or cabin baggage if it is deflated.

Different countries have their local customs requirements for importing food items into the countries. You are advised to check with the relevant authorities of the country you are travelling to if you plan to carry food items in your cabin or checked baggage. 

Note: If you are travelling on other airlines in your itinerary, please check with each airline for their policy.

Banned fruit items

Please note that most fruit items may be carried into the cabin as long as they are within our cabin baggage limitation – with the exception of durian and jackfruit, which are universally banned in aircraft cabins.

Additionally, durian fruit are not allowed in checked baggage due to the strong smells emitted, regardless of how they have been packaged.

Please note that batteries and heating elements must be isolated in battery-powered heat producing articles by removal of the heating element, battery or other components.

Examples: diving lamps, heat generating jackets, hair irons

Please check with the Civil Aviation Department, Link opens in a new window operated by external parties and may not conform to the same accessibility policies as Cathay Pacific of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Police department, Link opens in a new window operated by external parties and may not conform to the same accessibility policies as Cathay Pacific ; if you plan to put any of these items into your checked bags.

Devices capable (or appearing capable) of being used to cause serious injury by discharging a projectile, including:

• firearms of all types, such as pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns
• toy guns, replicas and imitation firearms capable of being mistaken for real weapons
• component parts of firearms, excluding telescopic sights
• compressed air and CO2 guns, such as pistols, pellet guns, rifles and ball bearing guns
• signal flare pistols and starter pistols
• bows, cross bows and arrows
• harpoon guns and spear guns
• slingshots and catapults

Any passenger planning to travel with firearms should get in touch with our Customer Care team for further details.

Objects with a sharp point or sharp edge capable of being used to cause serious injury, including:

• items designed for chopping, such as axes, hatchets and cleavers
• ice axes and ice picks
• razor blades
• box cutters
• Knives with blade of any length (except knives with round-ended blunt tip)
• scissors with blades of more than 6cm as measured from the fulcrum
• martial arts equipment with a sharp point or sharp edge
• swords and sabres
• Umbrellas*

*only for flights departing from the Philippines

Please note carrying certain knives without a reasonable excuse may be criminal offence. If you encounter a knife such as a butterfly, flick or lock knife of any length police assistance should be sought in line with local procedures.

Tools capable of being used either to cause serious injury or to threaten the safety of aircraft, including:

• crowbars
• drills and drill bits, including cordless portable power drills
• tools with a blade or a shaft of more than 6 cm capable of use as weapon, such as screwdrivers and chisels
• saws, including cordless portable power saws
• blowtorches
• bolt guns and nail guns