Flights from Canada to South Africa with Firearms

[BC Tal]

Hello everyone,

Just a Dude in BC and I are in the process of booking a hunt in Limpopo, South Africa with Dave Freeburn for August 2024. Looking for experience from the maple syrup swilling crowd for best flights and routes for flying from Canada, specifically western Canada, to Johannesburg with firearms.

Looking at taking two rifles and reloaded ammo for each of us.

1. What airlines did you fly with and what were your experiences, who do you recommend and who would you avoid like the plague;
2. How far ahead did you book your flights;
3. Did you use a travel agent;
4. What specific paperwork was required for the firearms;
5. Did anyone have firearms refused at any stage (airports)?

Appreciate any advice you can give.

 

[JimP]

I'm not sure if Jennifer handles flights out of Canada but I would contact her at @TRAVEL EXPRESS

International Hunting & Safari Travel Agents in Corvallis, MT | Travel Express

Travel Express is a hunting and safari travel agency who books excursions to Africa, New Zealand, Argentina and Central Asia. Click here to learn about their discounted airfare to Africa!

www.travelexpressagency.com

I'm not sure of the routes you can take but there are a lot of your fellow countrymen that fly over every year that will help out.

As for firearms I would contact Henry at Rifle Permits.com for preapproved rifle permits, if your PH isn't picking you up in Joberg. His service cost a little but it is well worth it, and with this being your first trip I would also get the meet and greet.

As for the paperwork in SA it is a SAP's 520 form that is fairly easy to fill out, but a little confusing. If you contact Henry he'll get you through it all. You just fill it out on your computer and then email it to him.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Importation or Transiting Procedures Through Countries with Weapons & Ammunition

Importation or Transiting Procedures Through Countries with Weapons & Ammunition Laws and regulations from countries pertaining importation and transit with weapons are constantly changing, therefore this article is also full of links to send you directly to the source rather than just...

www.africahunting.com

BA YVR- LHR-JNB
Price is not to bad at the moment for august 2024 at the moment.

Whatever notifications and fees BA requires for firearms.

https://www.britishairways.com/en-ca/information/baggage-essentials/sports-equipment

Export Permit from Canada for rifle, scope and Ammo. All online, free. Post on AH

New EXCOL

New EXCOL

www.nexcol-nceel.canada.ca

AH Search: "Serge". Honestly, do it.

SAPS 520 pay for someone to fill it out for you or buy a black pen and sign it in the SAPS gun room with your black pen after you followed the following example.

Example of how to complete the form.

https://www.travelexpressagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/SAPS-520-Completed-071210.pdf

Booking flights, if you are comfortable booking flights go for it. For uncomplicated itineraries I do my own.

Have your paperwork completed EXCOL, INVITATION LETTER, AND SAPS 520 ready to go on arrival and you will not have an issue. Never had any issues with BA. You'll see your firearm in JNB.

Enjoy.

 

[Philip Glass]

Hello everyone,

Just a Dude in BC and I are in the process of booking a hunt in Limpopo, South Africa with Dave Freeburn for August 2024. Looking for experience from the maple syrup swilling crowd for best flights and routes for flying from Canada, specifically western Canada, to Johannesburg with firearms.

Looking at taking two rifles and reloaded ammo for each of us.

1. What airlines did you fly with and what were your experiences, who do you recommend and who would you avoid like the plague;
2. How far ahead did you book your flights;
3. Did you use a travel agent;
4. What specific paperwork was required for the firearms;
5. Did anyone have firearms refused at any stage (airports)?

Appreciate any advice you can give.

Please Call a travel agent. Patrick at pwptravel is who I recommend.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I have flown from Ontario to Joberg four of the last five years. I book my own flights and take my guns. Twice I even took permanent export rifles for my lodge owner (but that is a bit of a headache).

Book with Air Canada and a Star Alliance partner airline. That way the guns go straight through without having to be rechecked. I usually stop off in Stutgart or Zurich and fly Lufthansa or Air Swiss to/from Joberg. I hear South Africa Airline is back up and running. You might check them out. British Airways is a partner but their gun handling fee is ridiculous expensive. The layover in Europe is about ten hours but better to sleep in those airports during the day than deal with overnight lodging in Joberg. Buy an Apple AirTag for each gun case to track them along the way. I don't have an Apple phone so could not track my guns but my daughter has an iPhone and tracked it for me. She texted me satellite images of where the guns were located. It worked well.

I had Professional Hunters Association of South Africa help with getting my guns through police at Joberg Airport. It is theoretically possible to do the paperwork yourself and get the guns through the police there but it is a bit of a maze. Corruption runs rampant so it's best to have someone help you who is "connected." BOOK YOUR CONNECTING FLIGHT TO LIMPOPO SO YOU HAVE AT LEAST TWO HOURS TO GET THROUGH CUSTOMS AND POLICE AND ON YOUR PLANE. Same with return flights. I guarantee you will need that much time!

I think Serge also handled my Canadian paperwork. Name rings a bell. Doing it online this last time worked the best. Thirty rounds for each gun should be plenty. You will need a separate lockable hard container for ammo. Air Canada will let you put it in checked bag after they have done their inspection and tagging. Out of Joberg the ammo MUST be in a separate locked container. Do NOT put ammo in your gun case. Air Canada doesn't allow it and neither do any of the other airlines (except it seems US domestic flights).

Avoid bags with loose straps. Joberg airport doesn't allow them. Don't put your bipod in carryon. Air Canada in Toronto hasn't figured out bipods aren't really a part of a gun needed to make it fire. Ask me how I know!

Buy a pair of collapsible ear phones to go in your carryon. Those airline ear buds are useless. You will be watching a lot of movies during your trip! I bought some earphones at the dollar store and they worked great. I understand the noise eliminating ones are fantastic.

I use duct tape to secure the locks on my gun and ammo case so they're not flopping. Don't use colored duct tape. A certain security gal at Joberg has a fetish for colored duct tape. She swiped my roll of red tape ... right in front of her supervisor! I suggest using the ugly gray stuff.

Don't forget that you'll need a power converter/adapter. During the few hours a day when there is electricity in South Africa, it is not 110 V.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

As soon as you have your invite letter from safari operator, you can book your tickets. Further in advance = cheaper rates.

 

[wesheltonj]

You have a few flight choices from Vancouver, European carriers (BA, Lufthansa, KLM, AF) and no Gulf carriers. BA is easy with guns just expensive, just make sure you take the Heathrow flight and not the Gatwick flight. Turkish is also good with guns.

SAPS gun permit. I have done it both ways. Used a service, in and out, 5 minutes tops, no problems. Last time did it myself, and SAPS computer was down and they had to handwrite out the permit took about 30 minutes. Fortunately, I had lots of time between flights.

Travel agent. My advice is that depends. If it's YVR to JNB with a layover in LHR on BA, you don't need one, You just call them 30 days out, with the firearm information and again 72 hours out and that's it. If you are connecting, depending on your skill and tolerance level it would not hurt to work with an agent. There are many agents that work with hunters, with Gracy being the original.

And all of the Heathrow horror stories. You will not have any as long as you are on BA metal on all flights and all flights land and depart from Heathrow. Just make sure you have adequate layover time at Heathrow.The horror stories all start with AA to BA, Gatwick to Heathrow or Comair dba BA from JNB (this one you don't have to worry about as Comair is out of business).

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I advise Swiss Air on return out of Joberg. Their gun handling fee is very reasonable. Lufthansa is expensive. British Airways is outrageous. Air Canada gun handling fee is also relatively reasonable. You only pay it once at each departure (Vancouver and Joberg) IF your connecting flights are with Star Alliance partners.

 

[Graham Hunter]

I have used Bridget from Maritime Travel out of Calgary several times. Great person and will find you the cheapest flights!

 

[Graham Hunter]

A couple of other notes. If you change Airline companies thru your flight even if they are under the same banner (Star Alliance etc) you will have to collect your guns and recheck them with the other Airline. Also be sure you get confirmation that you can print off that the Airline is aware you are taking firearms.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Avoiding all this: Borrow or Rent a Firearm.

The lasting impact of the travel shake up has really impacted flight access from western Canada.
One stop flights are currently minimal.

There are few reasonable choices available to you.

Flights from YVR, without more stops to lose your luggage and/or firearms.

Assuming they are even offering flights on your proposed travel dates.

AMS - Amsterdam
KLM
Requires a permit to Transit with a firearm. No fees. Email away.
https://www.belastingdienst.nl/wps/...apons_and_ammunition_with_annex_to_question_7


LHR - Heathrow London - Not GATWICK or any combination of Airports.
Air Canada
British Airways
No country permit required to transit the UK.
As noted BA's firearm fees are obnoxious.


FRA - Frankfurt -
Lufthansa
Frankfurt requires Euro fee for a permit to transit with firearms.
https://verwaltung-online.frankfurt....02.02.01.01&mode=cc&cc_key=Mitnahmeerlaubnis
Lufthansa firearm fees are pretty obnoxious too.

So I don't have to retype everything. Links to every transit permit from a site Sponsor.
https://www.travelexpressagency.com/firearms/

 

[Ontario Hunter]

A couple of other notes. If you change Airline companies thru your flight even if they are under the same banner (Star Alliance etc) you will have to collect your guns and recheck them with the other Airline. Also be sure you get confirmation that you can print off that the Airline is aware you are taking firearms.

Nope, you are wrong. I have flown to South Africa from Ontario four times since 2019 and only checked my guns in with Air Canada at my local airport, then don't see them again till Joberg. Return they are checked at Joberg and don't see them again till Toronto customs. I have had connecting flights with British Airlines (once), South Africa Airlines, Air Swiss, and Lufthansa. My layovers have been Heathrow, Frankfurt (not Stutgart), and Zurich. All the above airlines are part of the Star Alliance group. If booking is with a partner airline, the guns do not have to be rechecked.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Avoiding all this: Borrow or Rent a Firearm.

The lasting impact of the travel shake up has really impacted flight access from western Canada.
One stop flights are currently minimal.

There are few reasonable choices available to you.

Flights from YVR, without more stops to lose your luggage and/or firearms.

Assuming they are even offering flights on your proposed travel dates.

AMS - Amsterdam
KLM
Requires a permit to Transit with a firearm. No fees. Email away.
https://www.belastingdienst.nl/wps/...apons_and_ammunition_with_annex_to_question_7


LHR - Heathrow London - Not GATWICK or any combination of Airports.
Air Canada
British Airways
No country permit required to transit the UK.
As noted BA's firearm fees are obnoxious.


FRA - Frankfurt -
Lufthansa
Frankfurt requires Euro fee for a permit to transit with firearms.
https://verwaltung-online.frankfurt....02.02.01.01&mode=cc&cc_key=Mitnahmeerlaubnis
Lufthansa firearm fees are pretty obnoxious too.

So I don't have to retype everything. Links to every transit permit from a site Sponsor.
https://www.travelexpressagency.com/firearms/

Perhaps Air Canada was supposed to charge the Frankfurt airport "transit fee". They didn't. I returned this time from Joberg on Lufthansa so that probably took care of the transit fee when I checked the guns there. It was pricey. Wait ... I think I laid over in Zurich on return. Go with Air Swiss if possible. Probably the most gun friendly airline in Europe. Their fee is cheap.

 

[Graham Hunter]

Nope, you are wrong. I have flown to South Africa from Ontario four times since 2019 and only checked my guns in with Air Canada at my local airport, then don't see them again till Joberg. Return they are checked at Joberg and don't see them again till Toronto customs. I have had connecting flights with British Airlines (once), South Africa Airlines, Air Swiss, and Lufthansa. My layovers have been Heathrow, Frankfurt (not Stutgart), and Zurich. All the above airlines are part of the Star Alliance group. If booking is with a partner airline, the guns do not have to be rechecked.

I am not wrong. Try it with AC and Ethiopian Airlines. Keep playing the game and one day you will arrive without your firearms. You only have to read the reports on this forum from other posters to learn what I mean.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I am not wrong. Try it with AC and Ethiopian Airlines. Keep playing the game and one day you will arrive without your firearms. You only have to read the reports on this forum from other posters to learn what I mean.

I suspect if one is laid over overnight then the guns have to be rechecked. My layovers in Europe have only been during the daytime and none exceeded 11 hours. Even at Heathrow I didn't have to recheck my guns. Is Ethiopian Airlines part of the Star Alliance group? If my bags don't go on the carousel, I don't know how I should be able to pick them up to be rechecked. One cannot leave the airport for overnight lodging without going through customs, so yes in that case the guns would have to be rechecked through customs and onto the next airline = pay their handling fee.

 

[wesheltonj]

Don't count on airline alliances or code shares, the carrier need an interline agreement to transfer. And even then good luck in JNB to transfer to another airline with Airlink.

BA is not in Star Alliance, it's in One World.

 

[Graham Hunter]

Ethiopian is part of Star Alliance. But if you flew Air Canada to Toronto and the Ethiopian to Addis. You would have to make sure AC only checked your bags to Toronto. Then you pick up your bags and take them to Ethiopian and check your firearms there. And you have to notify them ahead of time and receive a notification that you are good to bring firearms. This is the only way Ethiopian will accept firearms. This only applies to firearms.

 

[TRAVEL EXPRESS]

Lots of good advice here, but I wanted to chime in also. We do handle flights for our northern neighbors, and there are a few things to keep in mind.

Many airlines will only check your guns until the point where you switch carriers. Some carriers require a formal permit or just advance notice.

If you do travel via Europe/ Middle East, many transits require a permit or prior approval. Some have fees. Many won't fly your guns unless they're approved in advance. The exact process varies WIDELY per airline/ transit city.

Off the top of my head, we have used Emirates, Lufthansa, and Ethiopian in the recent past, but each have their own "quirks". But above all the schedule and price have to work for YOU.

With such a huge number of options, it's impossible to boil it down in one post. Use an agent who knows the ins and outs with weapons, save yourself the time and heartache, as well as hours of research. We'd be happy to help if you need it!

 

[Graham Hunter]

Lots of good advice here, but I wanted to chime in also. We do handle flights for our northern neighbors, and there are a few things to keep in mind.

Many airlines will only check your guns until the point where you switch carriers. Some carriers require a formal permit or just advance notice.

If you do travel via Europe/ Middle East, many transits require a permit or prior approval. Some have fees. Many won't fly your guns unless they're approved in advance. The exact process varies WIDELY per airline/ transit city.

Off the top of my head, we have used Emirates, Lufthansa, and Ethiopian in the recent past, but each have their own "quirks". But above all the schedule and price have to work for YOU.

With such a huge number of options, it's impossible to boil it down in one post. Use an agent who knows the ins and outs with weapons, save yourself the time and heartache, as well as hours of research. We'd be happy to help if you need it!

Thankyou! Coming from the people who do know.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Perhaps Air Canada was supposed to charge the Frankfurt airport "transit fee". They didn't. I returned this time from Joberg on Lufthansa so that probably took care of the transit fee when I checked the guns there. It was pricey. Wait ... I think I laid over in Zurich on return. Go with Air Swiss if possible. Probably the most gun friendly airline in Europe. Their fee is cheap.

Frankfurt city, through the police service, require the permit. You have to pay for apply for the permit.
No airline involved.