Airline Passengers Can Check In Mace

Passengers on commercial airlines can now check in a can of Mace or pepper spray with their luggage, but they face penalties if they carry the self-defense spray on board with them, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday.

The agency adjusted its regulations in response to numerous requests from flight crew members and passengers who said they want a means of self-protection once they arrive at their destinations.

Under the changed rules, passengers now can check inside their baggage one self-defense spray, weighing 4 ounces or less and containing not more than 2% tear gas.

The bags must be carried to the cargo hold.

Passengers bringing Mace or pepper spray into the airline passenger compartment or not following the regulations face penalties of up to $25,000 and five years in prison.

“This added flexibility in the rules makes it completely unnecessary for passengers to bring these dangerous sprays into aircraft cabins where any release could hurt passengers and incapacitate flight crews, possibly endangering everyone on board,” the agency said.

The FAA cited an incident last September aboard an America West flight from Phoenix to El Paso, Texas, when oxygen masks had to be deployed for passengers and the cockpit crew after a can of pepper spray went off, causing a strong smell and eye irritation.