---
title: "IAM.GEN.VCA.160 Carriage of sporting weapons and ammunition — Part-IAM · Avioverse"
description: "The IAM operator shall not accept sporting weapons for carriage by air in the VCA unless:"
url: "https://avioverse.aero/regulations/easa/air-ops/part-iam/subpart-a/iam-gen-vca-160"
---

# IAM.GEN.VCA.160 Carriage of sporting weapons and ammunition

ANNEX IX (Part-IAM) · Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 · EAR revision 27 Mar 2026

IR Implementing rule

## IAM.GEN.VCA.160 Carriage of sporting weapons and ammunition

(a) The IAM operator shall not accept sporting weapons for carriage by air in the VCA unless:

(1) they can be stowed in the VCA in a place that is inaccessible to passengers during the flight; and

(2) all ammunition is unloaded and carried separately from the sporting weapons.

IR · IAM.GEN.VCA.160 — Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 · Regulation (EU) 2024/1111 · Air OPS Easy Access Rules · EAR revision 27 Mar 2026

GM Guidance material

## GM1 IAM.GEN.VCA.160 Carriage of sporting weapons and ammunition

SPORTING WEAPONS

(a) In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 300/2008, sporting weapons may be carried on board an [aircraft](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/aircraft), in a place that is not inaccessible, if the required security conditions in accordance with national laws fulfilled and an authorisation has been granted by the State(s) involved.

(b) There is no internationally agreed definition of sporting weapons. In general, it may be any weapon that is not a weapon of war or munitions of war. Sporting weapons include hunting knives, bows and other similar articles. An antique weapon, which at one time may have been a weapon of war or munitions of war, such as a musket, may now be regarded as a sporting weapon.

(c) A firearm is any gun, rifle or pistol that fires a projectile.

The following firearms are generally regarded as sporting weapons:

(1) those designed for shooting games, shooting birds and other animals;

(2) those used for target shooting, clay-pigeon shooting and competition shooting, provided the weapons are not those on standard issue to military forces; and

(3) airguns, dart guns, starting pistols, etc.

A firearm, which is not a weapon of war or munitions of war, should be treated as a sporting weapon for the purpose of being carried on a VCA.

GM · GM1 IAM.GEN.VCA.160 — Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 · ED Decision 2025/010/R · Air OPS Easy Access Rules · EAR revision 27 Mar 2026

[All rules in SUBPART A — GENERAL REQUIREMENTS](https://avioverse.aero/regulations/easa/air-ops/part-iam/subpart-a)

Consolidated from the EASA Easy Access Rules (revision 27 Mar 2026, extracted 13 Oct 2026) for convenience. Not the official publication — verify against the Official Journal of the European Union and the EASA publications before operational use.