As the mango season is in full swing in India, many passengers tend to travel from one part of the country to another with a box or two of their favourite fruit. “Can I carry mangoes on domestic flights in India?”, a Quora user asked. So, we decided to explore domestic and international rules.
Aviation expert K Anuradha Suresh, retired Senior AGM at Air India, affirmed that mangoes are generally allowed on domestic flights. “Not a item,” she said.
She mentioned that in domestic carriage, the only concern is the security clearance issue that permits it. “International carriage = customs and agricultural quarantine issues, which are country-dependent. In simple words, countries have biosecurity laws in place which help prevent the spread of pests or diseases,” said Anuradha.
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According to the official site of Ratnagiri Hapus, which are Alphonso mangoes grown in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, India, and widely called the King of Mangoes, if one is “carrying mangoes to countries like the USA, UK, Australia, or New Zealand, the mangoes must go through irradiation treatment (a method to kill bacteria and pests) and come with a phytosanitary certificate issued by India’s APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority)”.
Notably, the official BCAS Prohibited Items List via the CISF Portal or through the Airport Security Guidelines, which prohibits carrying weapons, explosives, or liquids over 100ml, doesn’t mention fresh fruits or mangoes on the prohibited list. So, legally, one can carry mangoes without it being explicitly banned or flagged as a security hazard.
Furthermore, IndiGo’s official customer support on X once explicitly confirmed in tweets that mangoes are permitted in both cabin and on domestic flights. “Mangoes in limited quantity can be carried in cabin baggage. You carry mango boxes in your check-in baggage, within the check-in baggage limit,” it read.
Air India’s Restricted Baggage Guidelines allow dry food and fresh produce as long as they adhere to the standard weight limits, sans hygiene issues.
Interestingly, while fresh fruits are allowed, the only fruit explicitly banned by Indian aviation security is , also called copra, because it is highly flammable, which could lead to a hazard. “Mangoes have no such restriction domestically, though international flights must comply with destination-specific customs and their laws,” said Anuradha.
Hi, mangoes in limited quantity can be carried in cabin baggage. You carry mango boxes in your check-in baggage, within the check-in baggage limit. Further, you may visit , for more information on the same. Thank you. ~Dev
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E)
Experts suggest that if you are concerned about a specific airport security encounter, pack the mangoes neatly in a well-sealed, commercial cardboard box, which ensures instant visual inspection by security personnel.
According to Ratnagiri Hapus website, some of the tips for travellers are:
*Don’t carry mangoes loosely in your bag.
*Check the import laws of the destination country.
*If permitted, pack mangoes in sealed, leak-proof boxes with documentation.
*Declare at customs when asked, and cooperate with officers.
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