The rule every airport works from
What dangerous goods may go on board is set by the Dangerous Goods Regulations of IATA, the international association of airlines. Table 2.3.A has one line about lighters, and it is stricter than many travellers expect:
- You may carry one small packet of safety matches or one small lighter for your own use.
- That lighter is carried on your person. It may not go in your carry-on bag or in your checked suitcase.
- It must not contain free liquid fuel other than liquefied gas. An ordinary gas lighter such as a Clipper fits this description.
- Lighter gas and refills are not allowed anywhere: not on you, not in the cabin, not in the hold.
- Blue flame lighters and cigar lighters are forbidden, as are strike anywhere matches and battery-powered lighters without a safety cap.
"On your person" means in a trouser or jacket pocket. A lighter loose in your backpack or handbag does not meet the rule, even though that bag travels in the cabin with you.
Which lighter may go, type by type
This is how the IATA rule works out for the lighters we sell. The rule names no brands: what matters is the kind of flame and whether gas or a refill comes along.
| Lighter | On your person | Carry-on bag | Checked suitcase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clipper Classic with flint and wheel (soft yellow flame) | Yes, one | No | No |
| Clipper Jet (jet flame) | No | No | No |
| Storm lighters with one or more jet flames: Silver Match, Prof, Champ High | No | No | No |
| Can of lighter gas or a refill | No | No | No |
| Packet of safety matches | Yes, one small packet | No | No |
A Clipper Classic with a flint is therefore the type of lighter that is usually allowed. The final word still belongs to your airline and to the security staff, so check your own airline's rules if you want to be sure.
Why a jet or storm lighter stays at home
A storm lighter burns with a hard blue flame that the wind barely moves. That is why people buy one: to light a barbecue or a campfire on a windy day. It is also why it cannot fly. IATA names blue flame lighters and cigar lighters as forbidden.
This covers every Silver Match jet lighter, the Prof lighters and the Champ High lighters, and also the Clipper Jet. One flame or four, empty or full, it does not matter: it does not go, not even in the hold. If security finds one, you will normally have to leave it behind.
Going camping or grilling at your destination? Buy your storm lighter and gas there. And if you travel by car, this aviation rule does not apply.
Flying from Belgium, France or the Netherlands
Whether you leave from Brussels, Charleroi, Paris, Lille or Amsterdam Schiphol, European airports and airlines apply this IATA rule. An airline may be stricter than IATA, never more relaxed. We could not read every page of Brussels Airport, Charleroi, Schiphol, Brussels Airlines, Ryanair, Transavia, Air France or KLM while writing this, so before you leave, look at the "dangerous goods" or "prohibited items" page of your own airline.
Two things you may come across:
- A Flemish government page on baggage still lists "max. 5 lighters or boxes of matches" in checked baggage. IATA allows no lighter in the hold and the airlines follow IATA, so put nothing in your suitcase.
- On flights to or from the United Kingdom, the UK government asks you to put your one lighter in a resealable plastic bag, like the one for liquids, and keep it on you. After screening it may not go back into your hand luggage.
The French civil aviation authority DGAC also warns that lighters carried in large quantities, for example to sell on, are not allowed. A stock of Clippers as souvenirs does not belong in your luggage.
Travelling with your Clipper, step by step
- Pick one lighter: a Clipper with a flint and an ordinary yellow flame. Leave your storm lighter, your Clipper Jet and any spares at home.
- Leave the gas can at home too. It is not allowed in any baggage.
- Check your airline's rules, especially if you change planes or fly outside Europe.
- Put the lighter in a trouser or jacket pocket, not in your bag.
- At security, do what the staff ask. If they want to see it, just show it.
- Keep it on you during the flight. Lighting it on board is of course forbidden.
Gas at your destination
Because refills cannot fly, it is best to set off with a well-filled Clipper. If it runs dry on holiday, buy a can of lighter gas locally and top it up. A Clipper is refillable and its flint can be replaced, so there is no need to throw it away. Our guide on how to refill a Clipper lighter shows how. At home you will find gas and flints among our accessories, such as the Eurojet 300 ml refill and the Clipper Universal flints.
On holiday, keep the lighter out of the sun and out of a hot car: the Clipper safety data sheet says to store it below 50 °C.
And if you need to get rid of a lighter on the way, our guide on how to throw away a lighter, empty or not explains the rules in Belgium and France.
Rules checked on 5 October 2026 in the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (65th edition, table 2.3.A). Rules change: your airline's page always has the final word.
