Salt not allowed in carry-on bags?
 

I am writing this on AA forum since it was AA security that enforced this rule

I was flying SAL-DFW on AA -- in SAL each gate going to the USA has its own security ran by the airline, AA in this case

I was trying to bring a sealed bag of sea salt (1lb) -- such bag I was told needed to be in checked bags -- I asked to see a printout with this rule, but was told that not all items are on the list.

:rolleyes:

Hmmm...

A one-pound bag of white powder. Seems pretty reasonable to not allow it in carry-on bags.

But in checked luggage it's A-OK?

salt is a granule, not a powder. But what exactly is the threat to aviation security here ?

Think of the children!

Right -- it is making up a new rule

There's a reason for it, it's not just "made up".

Salt water is considered "mildly corrosive" - aka may rust things. Sure, most of the metal in a plane is aluminum (and now carbon composite in the 787 and A350), but not all of it.

Grab yourself some water, make a high salt solution and dump it somewhere critical and you could potentially down the road compromise aircraft integrity due to galvanic corrosion if other metals are present.


Hawaiian Airlines specifically mentions salt water:
http://hawaiianair.custhelp.com/app/...check-in-items

More info about galvanic corrosion, specifically relating to aluminum in salt water:
http://www.boatingmag.com/protecting...ater-corrosion

As a tangent, Mercury is even more dangerous to aluminum:

Okay, but a pound of salt? In a carry-on bag? That's not prohibited from being in the cargo hold? Where if you think about the rules, has a much higher chance of getting hydrated than in an OHB? And an infinitely higher chance of being unnoticed down there?

Don't you know too much salt can kill you........

Would be quite difficult to release a lb of salt/salt solution in the cargo hold where the luggages are. Even if there is a leak, maintenance and/or luggage crew might (probably) find it or see "something is leaking" or "there is corrosion here".

Taking on a carry on, one can nefariously release a lb of salt/salt solution to a "no-no" location (as mentioned up-thread).

Why would routine maintenance checks find corrosion due to checked salt, but miss it when it's caused by carry-on salt?

Has anyone, anywhere in the US, been told they aren't allowed to carry on dry salt?

I realize folks like to imagine anything as a potentially grave threat, but I don't think anyone's going to bring down a 777 with a pound of Morton's.

The TSA website clearly and specifically allows a wide variety of 'salt' type products in your carry-on so I do think the potential risks of corrosion have been considered andare viewed as insignificant.

However the TSA always reserve the right to reject any item they wish on the day so once they say 'no' there really isn't a lot of point in arguing about it...

That's really strange. I just flew back from Kona 3 days ago with two 6 oz. packages of sea salt in my carry on. No problems with tsa in Kona and then when I went thru security at LAX 2 days later for a different flight I had no problems with it either. My first flight from KOA to LAX was on Hawaiian but my LAX to DFW flight was AA.

I'm always taking sea salt back from Mexico to the States and the UK and nobody says anything. Who would want to add water to salt on a plane? Especially when it would take a long time to cause enough damage to a plane somewhere in the future that the perp wouldn't even know about?

I'm simply posting a theoretical possibility. :p

Regarding missing carry-on salt, it can be placed where no one would really look for some/any type of corrosion (or anything else for that matter). It really wouldn't be until there is a large-scale overhaul (such as a "D-check") where something like that might possibly be found.