Travelling With Drones and Batteries: What You Need to Know Before Flying
- Josh Dusang
- 5 days ago
- 7 min read
Travelling with drones is very manageable, but it takes more planning than travelling with regular camera gear. The drone itself is usually not the biggest issue. The batteries are.
For drone pilots, drone photographers, aerial photographers, and any drone services company travelling for work, battery planning should be one of the first things you look at before heading to the airport. This is especially true for professional drone services in Canada, where teams may be travelling with larger aircraft for drone inspection, drone videography, aerial photography, drone construction monitoring, real estate drone photography, live sports drone videography, or FPV drone fly through's.
Most drone batteries are lithium based, which means airlines have specific rules for how they need to be packed, carried, and declared. Before every trip, check the current policy of the airline you are flying with, especially when travelling with professional or enterprise level drone systems.
Air Canada allows drones in carry on baggage as long as they remain turned off, safely stored, and are not used on board the aircraft. Drones may also be accepted in checked baggage, but the lithium batteries must be removed and carried on board in your carry on bag.
Porter Airlines has similar restrictions. Drones can be accepted in checked baggage, but the lithium batteries must be removed from the drone and brought on board in carry on baggage.
This is where battery size matters. Smaller consumer drone batteries are usually easier to travel with because they are often under the airline’s watt hour limits. Enterprise level drone batteries are a different story. They are generally larger and more powerful, which makes sense because they are built for heavier aircraft, longer operations, and more demanding professional work.
We dealt with this recently while travelling to Halifax for a drone job. We needed to bring two enterprise level drones, but the batteries required more planning than the drones themselves. For that operation, we needed four batteries total. Between cooling time, recharge time, and the need to keep the drones running throughout the day, two batteries were not enough.
The issue was that we could not simply bring all four batteries with us under normal passenger baggage limits. To stay compliant and avoid problems at the airport, we carried what we were allowed to bring on board and shipped the additional two batteries ahead of time through Ship Dangerous Goods.
For professional drone work, that is often the best solution. When a job requires more batteries than you are allowed to carry as a passenger, it is much better to use a certified dangerous goods shipping provider instead of trying to force everything through the airport.
Another detail that is easy to overlook is the drone controller. Many drone controllers have internal LiPo or lithium ion batteries, so they should also be treated as battery powered devices. We recommend bringing your drone controller on board in your carry on bag whenever possible. Even though it may feel like an accessory, it still contains a battery, and keeping it with you in the cabin is usually the safest option.
When packing drone batteries, keep them organized, labelled, and protected. Use individual cases, battery bags, or protective pouches. Make sure the terminals are covered or protected so they cannot touch metal objects. A loose battery coming into contact with keys, tools, coins, or another battery terminal can create a short circuit, which is one of the main risks these rules are designed to prevent.
The drone body, props, chargers, tools, and accessories can usually be packed separately, but anything containing a lithium battery should be handled with extra care. This includes flight batteries, smart controllers, monitors, tablets, power banks, and other battery powered accessories used for aerial drone services.
Whether you are travelling for drone aerial photography, Film & TV Aerial Cinematography, drone security services, drone inspections, construction drone services, real estate drone videography & photography, fpv drone videography, or drones for live streaming sports & events, the same rule applies. Plan your batteries first.
The main takeaway is simple. Check your airline’s current rules before every flight, keep lithium batteries and controllers in your carry on bag, protect every battery from short circuit, and use a certified dangerous goods shipper when your operation requires more batteries than passenger travel allows.
With the right planning, travelling with drones can be safe, legal, and stress free. For drone companies in Canada, especially anyone operating drones in Toronto or travelling from Toronto for professional drone service work, battery planning is not just an airport detail. It is part of running a safe and reliable operation.
FAQ: Travelling With Drones and Drone Batteries
Can you bring a drone on a plane?
Yes, in most cases you can bring a drone on a plane, but you need to follow the airline’s rules for batteries. The drone itself can often travel in carry on or checked baggage, but lithium batteries usually need to be removed and brought on board in carry on baggage.
Can drone batteries go in checked baggage?
In most cases, spare lithium drone batteries should not go in checked baggage. They should be packed in carry on baggage, protected from short circuit, and kept with you in the cabin. Always check your airline’s current battery policy before travelling.
What are the Air Canada rules for travelling with drone batteries?
Air Canada allows drones in carry on baggage as long as they are turned off, safely stored, and not used on board. Drones may also be accepted in checked baggage, but the lithium batteries must be removed and carried in your carry on baggage. Battery size and quantity limits may apply, especially for larger professional drone batteries.
What are Porter Airlines’ rules for drones and lithium batteries?
Porter Airlines allows drones in checked baggage as long as the lithium batteries are removed and brought on board in carry on baggage. Like any airline, Porter’s battery rules should be checked before every trip because lithium battery limits can depend on watt hour rating, battery type, and quantity.
Why do drone batteries need to be carried on board?
Lithium batteries are carried on board because cabin crew can respond faster if there is a battery issue during the flight. This is why drone batteries, camera batteries, power banks, smart controllers, and other battery powered equipment should usually stay in carry on baggage.
Should I bring my drone controller in carry on?
Yes. Many drone controllers have internal LiPo or lithium ion batteries, so it is best to bring the controller in your carry on bag. Even though it may feel like an accessory, the controller still contains a battery and should be handled like other battery powered devices.
Are enterprise drone batteries harder to travel with?
Yes. Enterprise drone batteries are generally larger and more powerful than consumer drone batteries. That makes sense because enterprise drones are built for heavier aircraft, longer flights, drone inspection, drone imaging services, construction drone services, drone construction monitoring, and other professional drone services.
What should I do if I need to travel with more drone batteries than the airline allows?
If you need more batteries than you are legally allowed to carry as a passenger, the safest option is to ship the extra batteries through a certified dangerous goods shipping provider. For professional drone service work, we use Ship Dangerous Goods when we need to move batteries that exceed normal passenger travel limits.
Why would a drone company need to ship batteries separately?
Professional drone companies in Canada may need to ship batteries separately when a job requires continuous operation throughout the day. For example, on a Halifax drone job, we needed four enterprise drone batteries total because of cooling time, recharge time, and the need to keep working all day. We were able to carry some batteries with us and shipped the additional batteries ahead of time.
How should drone batteries be packed for air travel?
Drone batteries should be packed in a way that prevents damage and short circuit. Use individual cases, battery bags, or protective pouches. Keep the terminals covered or separated, and make sure batteries cannot come into contact with metal objects like keys, coins, tools, or other battery terminals.
Does this apply to drone photography and drone videography equipment?
Yes. These battery rules apply to many types of drone work, including drone photography, aerial photography, drone aerial photography, aerial drone photography, drone videography, aerial videography, fpv drone videography, real estate drone photography, real estate drone video, real estate drone videography, sports drone videography, and drone filming services.
What should drone pilots check before flying with gear?
Before flying, drone pilots should check the airline’s current battery policy, confirm the watt hour rating of each battery, pack batteries in carry on baggage, protect the terminals, bring controllers on board, and arrange dangerous goods shipping if the operation requires more batteries than passenger limits allow.
Do drone companies in Toronto travel with batteries often?
Yes. For drones in Toronto and drone service work across Canada, travelling with batteries is a regular part of professional operations. A drone services company may need to travel for drone inspections, real estate drone photography, aerial drone services, drone aerial filming, drones for filming sports, or other commercial drone projects, so battery planning is part of the job.
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Blog Written by:
Josh Dusang
Head of Business Development
Bio:
Josh has built a strong creative and technical foundation in digital media, technology, and aerial cinematography from a young age. With experience in video editing, drone operations, ground cinematography, and sound design, he brings both technical expertise and creative perspective to every project.
Today, Josh serves as a Pilot, Editor and The Head of Business Development at First Class Drones. He is excited about the future of drone technology and looks forward to the innovative projects on the horizon for First Class Drones.