FAA 
News Release
Federal Aviation
Administration, Western-Pacific Region, P.O. Box 92007, Los Angeles, CA
90009-2007
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
AWP-5 13-01
Dec. 07, 2001
Contact: Jerry Snyder
Phone:
(310) 725-3580
The FAA warns packing
fireworks can ruin your New Year.
There
is much to celebrate this time of year and fireworks can play a big part in the
festivities. However, packing fireworks in your checked or carry-on baggage is
dangerous business and illegal. Now, with the United States in a heightened
state of security it is more important than ever that passengers be aware of the regulations prohibiting fireworks
on commercial passenger flights.
Passengers
risk substantial fines and up to five years in prison by carrying fireworks in
their bags or on their person on commercial passenger flights. Fireworks of all shapes and sizes, from
sparklers and poppers to cherry bombs and rockets, are strictly prohibited
because of the extreme danger they pose should they ignite during flight.
The potential for spontaneous ignition, combined with improper packing and
resulting fire in an aircraft’s inaccessible cargo hold, are well know.
Any
person carrying fireworks onto an aircraft or attempting to ship them illegally
faces civil penalties of up to $27,500 per violation, or criminal prosecution
that would carry penalties of $500,000 and five years in prison. Falsely stating to the air carrier that
there are no fireworks in your checked or carry-on baggage may be considered an
aggravating factor that may result in compounded penalties.
Certain fireworks may be
shipped as cargo on some airlines, but only if shipments are properly packaged,
marked and declared under the hazardous material regulations of the Department
of Transportation’s Research and Special Program Administration (RSPA). For
detailed information, call the RSPA hotline at 1-800-467-4922 or email RSPA at infocntr@rspa.dot.gov.
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An electronic version of this news release is available via
the
World Wide Web at: www.awp.faa.gov/affairs/publicaffair.htm