Ryanair, Jet2, Easyjet and TUI passengers banned from taking coconuts on plane

Customers at major airlines including Jet2, Ryanair, TUI and Easyjet have been banned from taking coconuts onto planes.

While passengers are not prevented from packing coconuts in their hold or hand luggage by airport security, most airlines will ban the tropical fruit from inside their aircrafts.

That’s because copra, which is the dried white flesh inside a coconut, is a potential fire hazard in the air because of its high oil content.

The Dangerous Goods Register issued by the International Air Transport Association categorises the coconut meat as a Class 4 risk in cargo, adding: “flammable solid liable to spontaneous combustion…emit flammable gases when in contact with water”.

Jet2, Ryanair, TUI and Easyjet do not allow travellers to carry copra in their hand luggage or checked-in bags due to the fire safety risk.

But it’s okay to travel with retail-packaged coconut products, so a Bounty is totally safe and permitted.

The IATA says: “The IATA works closely with local governments and ICAO in the development of regulations. This way, we ensure that the rules and guidelines on dangerous goods transport are effective and operationally practical.

“The IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) manual is the global reference for shipping dangerous goods by air and the only standard recognised by airlines.”

Rules around liquids have begun to be relaxed with several airports now allowing liquids over 100ml in some circumstances.