The foam floatation devices pictured will be familiar to many people who have checked the safety equipment inventory of their charter or flotilla yacht. Their design does not encourage their continuous use during the course of a sailing holiday in the sun.

Those of us flying to or from sailing holidays or jobs will often wish to take our own lifejackets where we are unhappy with or unaware of what will be available on the vessel we are joining.

Automatically inflating lifejackets operate using compressed gas cylinders. The guidelines on the carriage of dangerous goods drawn up by the airline industry's trade body, the IATA, permit the carriage of:

Non-flammable gas cylinder fitted into a life jacket containing carbon dioxide or other suitable gas [...] up to two (2) small cylinders per passenger, and up to two (2) spare cartridges.

The guidelines allow for carriage of these cylinders in hand or checked baggage, but only with the approval of the airline.

Experience has shown that airline customer service staff are frequently unaware of and often unwilling to find out their company policy on carriage of lifejackets resulting in refusal of passenger requests to carry them.

This article seeks to clarify the theory and practice of travelling by air with a lifejacket. The IATA are asked to explain their guidelines in this area and the relationship between the guidelines and airlines' operating practices.

BAA and the Department for Transport are asked to outline any additional rules which cover transport of non-flammable compressed gas cylinders through airports.

A number of airlines servicing popular yachting destinations are asked to outline their company policy on the transportation of lifejackets and the correct procedure for passengers to follow if they wish to take theirs in their baggage. Where approval procedures are advised by the airline's press office, what happens when an ordinary member of the public tries to follow those procedures?

In the light of their lifejacket campaign, the RNLI are asked for their advice to yachtspeople travelling by air to engage in sailing activities.

Total article length: approx. 2000 words.