TSA tweaks banned items list

Some knives without blades are no longer permitted on planes. That is one of the key updates to the TSA‘s prohibited items list, published today. The updates also now account for air-powered firearms, creating standards which allow them to be carried as checked luggage.

The agency now explicitly calls out box cutter and utility knife housings, even if there are no blades installed.The TSA explains this change, “Recognizing the potential for empty box cutter and utility knife housings to be used to enhance the lethality of a hidden blade, TSA determined it is necessary to provide clarification that both the blades and housings are prohibited.”

Similarly, the butterknife exemption is now more detailed, noting that it must not contain any serrations, have a blunt tip, and that it must be no longer than a common table knife.

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Passengers traveling with air guns also now have a codified set of rules to work with to travel with the cylinders that power their weapons. While the TSA previously has offered limited exceptions, such as for Olympic competitors and the Wounded Warrior program, this update formalizes that rule based on an assessment that unpressurized competitive shooting cylinders for air guns do not present a risk in checked luggage. The TSA will now allow up to four unpressurized cylinders in checked baggage, with size restrictions in place.

Text of the changed portion of the TSA’s rules is shown below.

1. Currently, section I.B(5) reads: ‘‘Knives of any length, except roundedblade butter and plastic cutlery.’’ TSA is revising this section to read: ‘‘Knives of any length, except plastic cutlery and butter knives (the butter knife exception is limited to knives that are roundbladed, blunt-edged, without serration, and no longer than a common table knife.’’
2. Currently, section I.B(7) reads: ‘‘Razor-type blades, such as box cutters, utility knives, and razor blades not in a cartridge, but excluding safety razors. TSA is revising this section to read: ‘‘Razor-type blades, such as blades for box cutters, utility knives, and nondisposable safety razors. This prohibition includes box cutter and utility knife housings, with or without the razor blade, but excludes disposable safety razors and disposable safety razor blade cartridges.’’
3. TSA is revising section I.C(4) to add cat-eyes, to read: ‘‘Brass knuckles, including cat-eyes.’’
4. TSA added specific citations to regulatory cross-references in Section III.A and III.B. 5. TSA is adding section III.E. to read: ‘‘Compressed gas cylinders for air guns. Subject to the following limitations, a passenger may place air-powered rifles and pistols, components, ammunition, and accessories in checked baggage: (1) only four gas cylinders specifically intended for such rifles and pistols are permitted per person, (2) all of the gas cylinders must be unpressurized, and (3) none of the gas cylinders may exceed 24 inches in length, 3 inches in diameter, or 0.1 cubic feet in total rated volume.’’

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