How to fly with an Airvest?

The article below was originally written in January 2024. Since then, I can now add more than two years of real-world experience and feedback from travelling internationally with airbag vests.

Since January 2024, I have flown extensively around the world with an airbag vest and have only encountered one issue. This happened while flying home from Saudi Arabia via Dubai returning from Dakar. I was travelling with more than the permitted two spare cartridges. I had eight spares in my luggage and all eight spare cartridges were confiscated in Dubai. The airbag vest itself, including its installed cartridges, was left untouched and caused no issue.

After speaking to many other riders and travellers, and based on my own experience, these are my main takeaways:

• I have never had an issue with the airbag vest itself. I generally do not declare it separately; I simply pack it in my checked luggage.
• I have only once had spare cartridges confiscated. In that instance, I was carrying significantly more than the permitted number of spares.
• From conversations with other travellers, issues involving spare cartridges appear to occur more frequently when travelling through the Middle East/GCC or with Middle Eastern airlines. This is anecdotal, however, rather than something I can confirm as a universal airline policy.
• In practice, enforcement seems to vary considerably from airline to airline, and potentially even from airport to airport.
• It is also worth noting that the newer-generation airbag vests use considerably larger gas cartridges than older systems. These may attract more attention during baggage screening simply because of their size.

As another useful real-world example, riders from all over the world travelled to my most recent Roadbook Camp in Namibia, many of them bringing airbag vests. As far as I am aware, none experienced any problems travelling with their vests.

The important distinction seems to be between the airbag vest itself and additional spare cartridges. In my experience, the vest has never been the problem; if anything causes complications, it is much more likely to be the quantity, size, or handling of spare gas cartridges.

That said, airline and aviation-security rules can vary, so travellers should always check the current requirements of their airline and any countries or airports they will transit through before flying.

Original article below:

As airbag vests become increasingly mandatory for offroad motorcycle events, including all FIM sanctioned races, acquiring one has become an essential step for aspiring Dakar competitors. These vests serve as personal protective equipment (PPE), strategically designed to inflate upon impact, safeguarding your chest, back, and spine during a crash. Offroad motorcyclists are embracing airbag vests due to the remarkable level of protection they offer against severe injuries.

After conducting extensive research, I concluded that the Alpinestars Airvest was the superior choice at the time, and with the assistance of my rally veteran friend, David Pearson, I secured one from Alpinestars. While these vests come at a premium, their lifesaving potential justifies the investment. The total cost, including 10 cartridges (2 in the vest and 8 spares), amounted to $1320, excluding shipping fees, which can be substantial. David managed the shipping arrangements, and we split the expenses.

With the airvest in my possession, my primary concern turned to air travel logistics. Numerous tales circulated regarding the fate of airvests during transit. I consulted friends, many of whom are professional racers, and out of the 10 individuals I approached, each had a unique experience or perspective.

Ultimately, I sought clarification from Alpinestars, who confirmed that the airvest is indeed safe to transport as checked baggage, provided the following guidelines are adhered to:

1. Check the vest as baggage.

2. Ensure the vest is switched off to prevent accidental deployment during transit.

3. The vest MUST be accompanied by the Safety Data Sheet.

Even with the guidelines, there is no guarantee that it will arrive safely at my destination, so I guess we will have to wait and see.

You can download the Safety Data Sheet here.