Embargo of firearms from most UK airports

[Dunwaters]

Hi Nulmac
When Heathrow is your only option

Hi dunwater
Here's a question Do you think its the same situation at European airports or American airports . They must have similar problems ?

Chill

Not as bad as the UK, your problems are home grown. Some of the airlines that will not carry firearms out of, or within the UK have no problem once you get to another country, Lufthansa would be an example.
Anywhere you travel you have several sets of variables, the ICAO international regs, plus the national laws and then the individual airline regulations plus the very local ( and possibly hostile ) interpretation of those regs by your check in staff.
You’re screwed from the off unless you get all that sorted, even when you get a firearm through, the ammunition can be a whole new minefield.
Read the terms and conditions and be prepared to walk off and leave the check in staff with the disputed item if its cheap and replaceable, (ammo) they hate that.
Theres literally no point in arguing, they will leave you sitting there to stew and check in everyone else, accuse you of not turning up on time or come up with some other excuse as to why its your fault, and then make you run like a long dog through security, immigration and the shopping.
The UK is by far the worst I’ve dealt with, I just won’t do it again.

Purely an aside, I never realised quite how many queens you had in England until I spent 0230 sitting in a corridor in Heathrow waiting on my rifle to get to customs beside the BA flight crew facilities.
It did keep me amused.

 

[Jon P]

We flew out with BA again this year, compared to recent trips it was not too bad, however we asked why is it so difficult for them to process, booking in staff say they hardly ever carry firearms, the lady who takes the rifle to border force disputed that claim saying she is collecting firearms every day from BA check in. So something is amiss with the whole situation. I don’t intend taking a firearm next time .

 

[Sika98k]

Hi Nulmac
When Heathrow is your only option

Hi dunwater
Here's a question Do you think its the same situation at European airports or American airports . They must have similar problems ?

Chill

I travel a couple of times a year to Europe and Namibia. Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Prague, Windhoek, Budapest and Zagreb over the years.
I’ve found all of them pretty much a doddle.
Copenhagen has, I believe, become rather bureaucratic.
The clearance is generally always done by the local police who know what they are doing.

 

[TonyC]

Having travelled thru Heathrow countless times with rifles I have found the choke points are
1. Lack of knowledgeable check in staff, poor training. Each journey different rules!
2. Transfer of firearms from check in to Border Force, this is the major delay, they send two third party porters to carry them thru x ray and security, may be up to 20 rifles and ammo to check, they have no incentive to get a move on. I've waited up to 2 hours at BF for them to arrive!
3. Border Force, why make a list on departure then fail to check if off on return sometimes only 2 days later, should not be beyond the wit of man to save the list on the computer and use it on return instead of repeating the process on return.

If regional airports can do it efficiently and quickly why can't Heathrow, dare I suggest lack of supervision at all stages, no urgency, general negative attitude.

I really try not to go via Heathrow now, been going locally up north or easyJet thru Gatwick but it's a big trek south.

Perhaps the biggest change for me has been more boaring in France and driving via the tunnel, so much easier even if a long drive.

 

[urban]

Nice to see the Guardian raising this issue for us: As a polar guide I need to take a gun to the Arctic. But airlines are freezing me out

It’s not the airports which decide whether to accept individual firearms, but the airlines themselves. Manchester airport confirmed that there is no embargo on airlines carrying legal weapons, and that under the terms of its licence it would not be allowed to enforce one.

 

[ljs]

Carrying firearms ,
HEATHROW DOUBLE CHECK with your airline they haven’t got an embargo ….
A little update ,many of the baggage handlers at Heathrow have been got at , whilst the airlines say they will carry firearms in there blurb and on a sales when you speak to them on telephone calls , reality is it’s the baggage handlers preventing the transport , Lufthansa have now been hit at Heathrow and will not carry them as I have just discovered after I had confirmation from Germany H/Q prior to booking they would transport no problem , I then booked my tickets and when re confirming was advised of the arms embargo …. ( lufthansa still carry from Birmingham at the moment ) same goes for your in bound trophies pretty much it’s only air Mauritius now getting them into Gatwick ( info recently given to me from Martin Aries(quest freight) getting harder ……

 

[Chill 123]

Flew in and out of Birmingham airport this weekend . Absolutely no problem with transporting a firearm(Lufthansa ) , in fact it was a pleasure .

Chill

 

[GBR66]

Not Airport but port, I normally travel UK to Ireland via Fishguard to Rosslare, I don't quite understand if you have a permit for the country on both sides why you need a customs inspection, but you do, both ways...and they normally check the rest of the car even ththough you have self-declared for inspection....

Fishguard was closed a couple of weeks ago and I had to go from Pembroke where ammo isn't allowed....gave my host my left over cartridges but missed a loose box in the boot that security found when they searched the car...refused boarding, off to Police at the entrance roundabout to the harbour who were charming and took two minutes, back to customs, showed a photo of rozzer smiling with my ammo and on I went. I asked why and the answer was "because of the nearby refinery"....I am still trying to work that one out....

 

[ion]

Not Airport but port, I normally travel UK to Ireland via Fishguard to Rosslare, I don't quite understand if you have a permit for the country on both sides why you need a customs inspection, but you do, both ways...and they normally check the rest of the car even ththough you have self-declared for inspection....

Fishguard was closed a couple of weeks ago and I had to go from Pembroke where ammo isn't allowed....gave my host my left over cartridges but missed a loose box in the boot that security found when they searched the car...refused boarding, off to Police at the entrance roundabout to the harbour who were charming and took two minutes, back to customs, showed a photo of rozzer smiling with my ammo and on I went. I asked why and the answer was "because of the nearby refinery"....I am still trying to work that one out....

I find Stena much the easiest to deal with. The toughest question they have asked me " is the ammo in original package, is the firearm secure?" ( In my case locked case with cable through seat frame). I do find having a dog in the car helps. Most security staff are bored out of their minds and want to cuddle the dog.
In addition there is the 15% discount on ticket for membership of IFA Countryside.
Irish Ferries have a blanket ban on ammo as I understand. Once had a guest buy a fresh ticket in Holyhead to switch from Irish Ferries to Stena.
P & O in Larne insisted on the rifle being brought into an office. Never took that route again! I seem to remember they asked for my car keys to be handed in during the sailing.

 

[TonyC]

Just back from a trip to Turkey via Turkish Air out of Heathrow - no issues at all. Turkish Air did open the desk early for us following our request a few days previous to travel.

I did ask the Border Force what they do with the information garnered from our passports and FACs both in and out and he said nothing! they are merely a record of you you crossing the border with a firearm so really why do they bother if its never used - I can understand checking the FAC and weapon serial numbers tally but why the painstaking one finger typed computer list - can anyone enlighten me? and again my personal beef - why not use the list compiled on departure to check back in on arrival?

BF did ask if in future if we could supply a list of all the team details to make it easier - we managed to get it and emailed it to the officer at the time - brightened his day and we all (12) got through pretty quickly.

 

[GBR66]

I find Stena much the easiest to deal with. The toughest question they have asked me " is the ammo in original package, is the firearm secure?" ( In my case locked case with cable through seat frame). I do find having a dog in the car helps. Most security staff are bored out of their minds and want to cuddle the dog.
In addition there is the 15% discount on ticket for membership of IFA Countryside.
Irish Ferries have a blanket ban on ammo as I understand. Once had a guest buy a fresh ticket in Holyhead to switch from Irish Ferries to Stena.
P & O in Larne insisted on the rifle being brought into an office. Never took that route again! I seem to remember they asked for my car keys to be handed in during the sailing.

Spot on - Fishguard and Stena are fine, unfortunately it was closed for a week or so - hence Irish Ferries. I have had various car key solutions on Stena: 1. "Give them to me - collect on arrival", 2. "I'm supposed to take your keys but I have an FAC and don't think you should give control away, make it look like you are giving me them, 3. Nothing!