Here’s Why You Can’t Board a Plane with a Coconut in Your Baggage

Coconut is harmless in many regards, and while it is not a weapon, there are very good and scary reasons. Here’s why you can’t board a plane with a coconut in your baggage.

In this post, we throw more light on these to explain why an air transport service provider will prevent you from doing this.

I was personally shocked to learn that someone was actually denying the chance to travel with it, and so my curiosity led to finding answers.

When travelling with any air transport service provider, you need to find out exactly what they permit to be carried in your luggage. This will help prevent any form of embarrassing moments. You will avoid last-minute panic, hassle, or the risk of leaving prohibited items at the airport.

Coconut looks so harmless to travel with, but hold it there; it is one of those food items or fruits you cannot keep in your cabin baggage. Let us be a bit more specific: you cannot carry along dry coconut.

You may have no other option than to leave the dried white flesh inside the coconut or dry coconut at the airport when they find out it is in your bag.

The Reason Why You Can’t Board a Plane with a Coconut in Your Baggage

The explanation provided by IndiGo Airlines makes a lot of safety sense. According to their explanations via X, coconut is described as a highly flammable item per the safety protocols of air travel across the world. Therefore, no one is permitted to carry it along in their checked luggage.

“Dry coconut is a highly flammable object; hence, carrying it in check-in luggage is not permitted.” IndiGo Airlines stated. The airline went on to say that “dry coconut is not permitted in either hand baggage or checked baggage.”

This is because it contains some high levels of oil, which makes it a highly inflammable item. All items described as highly inflammable can easily cause fire if they are carried onboard an airplane. Should they come into contact with any level of heat, they can spart or start a fire that can be costly to the air transport service provider, pass anger, and the world at large.

The Dangerous Goods Register (IATA) categorises coconut meat as a Class 4 risk in cargo. Interestingly, dried coconut is marked as a “flammable solid liable to spontaneous combustion” that could “emit flammable gases when in contact with water.

It is important that travellers avoid carrying coconut on flights altogether.

If you must, SpiceJet Airlines explains on their website, “Coconut is only permitted for carriage in checked-in baggage if cut into small pieces. Dry coconut or copra is not permitted in either cabin or checked-in baggage.”

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Other food items and many more are not permitted. These include, but are not limited to, fish/meat, coconut, chilly pickles (pepper), raw foods (ice/pulses)) and all spices in powder or physical form, including chilly.

BELOW IS THE RESPONSE FROM THE  IndiGo Airlines

Hi Supriya, dry coconut is a highly flammable object hence, carrying the same in check-in luggage is not permitted.— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) May 13, 2017

” Copra dust may be ignited by a single spark, and the fruit’s fat decomposition can also lead to a risk of self-heating, says the IATA. However, travelling by air with retail-packaged coconut products is permitted.
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Do well to always know what can be and cannot be packed for travelling with other passengers and follow the laid out guidelines when packing food items for smooth and hassle-free air travel.