Flying Via Emirates to Johannesburg, South Africa

Most hunters choose to fly with Delta Airlines when flying to South Africa, but Emirates is another option. Emirates has a weird pre-approval policy for firearms, but you are fine as long as you know the rules.You just need to know their firearms pre-approval policy.

Flying with Sporting Weapons and Ammunition on Emirates

Firearms designed for sporting purposes, such as target pistols and rifles, air guns, safari rifles, hunting rifles, etc., may be carried as checked baggage on Emirates flights under the following conditions:

  • MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A FEW HOURS ON YOUR LAYOVER IN DUBAI! We learned this from experience and barely made our flight.
  • Firearms must be completely unloaded and, if possible, dismantled and packed inside a suitcase or standard gun case.
  • The carriage of any type of firearms, ammunition, or explosives, including items containing explosives, must be approved by Emirates no less than three days before your flight. Please complete the firearms form (available only in English) in the Contact Us section of our Help Center to start the approval process. Please allow extra time for public holidays and weekends in your country of residence and the UAE.
  • Ammunition must be securely stored in a strong, sealed box packed inside a suitcase and surrounded by other contents. The suitcase must not bear an “Explosive” label.
  • The maximum gross weight of the ammunition carried by any single customer is 5kg (11lbs). Customers traveling in groups must carry ammunition in their own separate bags, with no single bag carrying more than the 5kg (11lb) limit.

The following special conditions apply to customers wishing to carry firearms on flights into or through Dubai:

  • Customers who wish to bring firearms and ammunition into the UAE must obtain prior clearance from UAE Customs and the UAE Ministry of Defence. To obtain this clearance, customers must contact these government departments directly.
  • For transfer and transit customers who are connecting to onward flights, prior clearance to travel with firearms and ammunition must be obtained from the Dubai Airport Police Department and the Department of Civil Aviation.

Flying with Archery Equipment on Emirates

Emirates will accept archery equipment as checked baggage and part of your standard baggage allowance. This includes bows, arrows, and other miscellaneous equipment. Thanks to Emirates’s generous free baggage allowance, archery equipment will usually not incur any additional charge.

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Outdoors International
Whether it’s hunting, fishing, wingshooting, or outdoor adventure travel, our goal for you is a safe, worry free, successful trip from start to finish. Our continued success depends on giving you good advice.

2 thoughts on “Flying Via Emirates to Johannesburg, South Africa

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