Question about flying commercial with a handgun

A

Arietta

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When flying with a handgun does the airline demand to see the ATT?

My last handgun is in Alberta awaiting transfer approval. I do some business in a neighbouring city and when the transfer is approved it may be possible to fly out and pick the gun up personally. I know I don't need an ATT to take it from the dealer to my home but would the airline demand to see an ATT even though one isn't required?
 
Seems to me it would be a lot easier to just pay the money to have it shipped? I'm just guessing here, but I'd expect the airline to ding you for an extra piece of luggage and that would cost more than Canada Post would?

Even if you don't need it for the airline, would your automatic ATT cover you? I know the to-and-from the range part of the automatic ATT only allows you to go within your province, but I'm not sure about bringing the gun home from the place of purchase?

I would also be concerned about whether your trip meets the "reasonably direct route" requirement...
 
Suther said:
Seems to me it would be a lot easier to just pay the money to have it shipped? I'm just guessing here, but I'd expect the airline to ding you for an extra piece of luggage and that would cost more than Canada Post would?

Even if you don't need it for the airline, would your automatic ATT cover you? I know the to-and-from the range part of the automatic ATT only allows you to go within your province, but I'm not sure about bringing the gun home from the place of purchase?

I would also be concerned about whether your trip meets the "reasonably direct route" requirement...
Click to expand...

According to the RCMP website at ATT is not required to bring a restricted firearm home.

https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/firearms/authorization-transport

This change now requires licenced owners of registered firearms to obtain an Authorizations to Transport from the provincial or territorial Chief Firearms Officer (CFO) in order to transport a restricted or prohibited firearm to any place other than to:
a) an approved shooting club or shooting range within the owner's province of residence, or
b) to the firearm's place of storage after purchase.​
Click to expand...

It may be better to have it shipped but if I'm in the area for other reasons I would consider picking it up myself.
 
Last time I flew with handguns, I had 4 of them in a briefcase. The stewardess insisted that I put the case under the seat because the case was too heavy for overhead.

Note: The airplane had propellers and a tailwheel...
 
I suggest you use the air canada website and CFP rather than rely on random internet people

https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/plan/baggage/restricted-and-prohibited-items.html#/

Look under firearms and ammunition

Either way you have to declare it and have a declaration form. I expect an ATT will be required to be shown or attached to your declaration form for restricted firearms. But don't take my word for it, just contact CFP and the airline to get a correct answer.
 
As a once upon a time competitor and match official I know from experience that airlines in the current era will refuse to allow handguns with or without an ATT to be taken aboard or shipped. Since all baggage is scanned, the offending item will be confiscated and turned over to the authorities for disposal. I was an official at a World Master’s Games held in Edmonton a couple of decades ago and the Australian and New Zealand shooters went through hell getting their pistols into Canada and found no way to get them home. No postal or courier would transport them across the Pacific and no airline would allow them as baggage. Never did find out if they got them home, they may still be in a box at K division.
Just ship by can post.
cheers
 
machohugeaxe said:
I suggest you use the air canada website and CFP rather than rely on random internet people

https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/plan/baggage/restricted-and-prohibited-items.html#/

Look under firearms and ammunition

Either way you have to declare it and have a declaration form. I expect an ATT will be required to be shown or attached to your declaration form for restricted firearms. But don't take my word for it, just contact CFP and the airline to get a correct answer.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I've transported long guns by air and know the process. I'm just wondering whether handguns are treated differently.
 
Arietta said:
Thanks. I've transported long guns by air and know the process. I'm just wondering whether handguns are treated differently.
Click to expand...

Air Canada hasn't asked me in the past. But who knows what they might or might not decide to do? Westjet used to not charge fees for firearms transport but AC most certainly does which makes it uneconomical when you can ship with CP.
 
Arietta said:
When flying with a handgun does the airline demand to see the ATT?
Click to expand...

Not in my experience. Most of the time the airline agent asks about "...unloaded?", has you sign the FIREARM UNLOADED declaration label, has you unlock the bag, places the label into the bag, and has you relock the bag. Sometimes there is a short discussion about keys, and sometimes not, depending upon the agent. Only once has an airline employee been interested in documents; in that case - flying out of IAH - I was delayed while the diligent/overzealous agent attempted to certify that my (Canadian) export & import permits were genuine; long story short, I was permitted to board.

Having said all that, I would not take any chances flying (into, out of, or within Canada) with a restricted or prohibited firearm unless I also had a valid ATT. Just because I haven't been asked to produce an ATT doesn't mean that CATSA hasn't contacted police, or that police haven't checked (to confirm that there is a valid ATT). On the contrary, I would assume that they have.
 
T&G said:
As a once upon a time competitor and match official I know from experience that airlines in the current era will refuse to allow handguns with or without an ATT to be taken aboard or shipped. Since all baggage is scanned, the offending item will be confiscated and turned over to the authorities for disposal. I was an official at a World Master’s Games held in Edmonton a couple of decades ago and the Australian and New Zealand shooters went through hell getting their pistols into Canada and found no way to get them home. No postal or courier would transport them across the Pacific and no airline would allow them as baggage. Never did find out if they got them home, they may still be in a box at K division.
Just ship by can post.
cheers
Click to expand...

few years ago we did a training in toronto for the canadian shooting federation and i needed an att. never asked by air canada nor when i left whitehorse. but i got issues when leaving pearson and by the security once police was involded that ended well.

it has to be said that air canada was a sponsor of the federation ...
 
I flew from Halifax to Winnipeg a couple years ago with an antique handgun (not that they could tell the difference) in my baggage. Air canada did not ask for a registration cert or att and was happy to take my baggage. I did declare the firearm and followed their packing requirements with the little card they give you. I had more trouble on a separate flight explaining that empty unprimed brass was not in fact loaded ammo to someone carrying a sidearm...
 
Not always but sometimes. I do know, first hand, of one guy whose ATT had lapsed and they seized his handgun at the airport and had the RCMP pick it up. He had to get a new ATT, show that (electronically) to the RCMP and then they shipped it back.

I do believe that you need an ATT to fly and I believe you need one in this instance crossing borders.

I do not believe the government will issue you one though. I sold a gun to a guy in another province and asked CFC if he could go pick it up from the dealer where it was since he was only an hour away. Hard no. They had to ship it to me and I had to ship it to the new owner.
 
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