Passengers departing from airports in Hawai‘i continue to be responsible for a disproportionally high percentage of fireworks that are found illegally stashed in checked and carry-on baggage in the Federal Aviation Administration’s Western-Pacific Region. Although commercial flights in Hawai‘i make
Passengers departing from airports in Hawai‘i continue to be responsible for a disproportionally high percentage of fireworks that are found illegally stashed in checked and carry-on baggage in the Federal Aviation Administration’s Western-Pacific Region.
Although commercial flights in Hawai‘i make up a fraction of the region’s overall air traffic, the state’s passengers accounted for about half of the fireworks seizures at the region’s airports in Fiscal Year 2007.
The FAA prohibits all fireworks, including the smallest sparklers, from carry-on and checked bags because of the fire risk they pose to aircraft in the air and on the ground. According to the FAA, friction can cause these items to ignite during flight.
Violations of the hazardous-materials regulations include civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation with a minimum fine of $250. Criminal convictions can result in prison sentences of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for corporations.
The FAA’s Western-Pacific Region Office of Security and Hazardous Materials proposed more than $3 million in fines for HazMat violations in Fiscal Year 2007.
For more information on fireworks and other prohibited items, visit the FAA’s web site at http://www.faa.gov/passengers/prepare_fly
