Can I bring durian on an airplane?

The Answer is. . . . NO

Durian is categorized as a strong-smelling food, along with items like shrimp paste (kapi), fermented fish (pla ra), or dried seafood. These items are strictly prohibited from being carried on planes (carry-on baggage) because their odor can severely disturb other passengers during the journey. Especially on long-haul flights, no one wants to endure an unpleasant smell for the entire duration.

There was an incident where a Chinese passenger wanted to bring durian back to their country as carry-on baggage but was refused by the airline. The airline has a policy against bringing pungent fruits on board. Even if the durian was tightly and securely packed, the airline still did not permit it to be carried on, nor was it allowed to be checked as baggage. As a result, the passenger had to discard all the durian.

Even when Tightly Sealed, It’s Still Prohibited

The reason it cannot be brought on board is that there is limited air circulation during the flight. Durian is a fruit with an intensely pungent odor; when the scent permeates, it can fill the entire passenger cabin, disturbing other passengers who encounter the unpleasant smell.

The issue of durian odor has occurred before. In 2018, a Sriwijaya Air flight departing from Bengkulu (located in the southwest of Sumatra Island) had passengers secretly bringing durian on board. The smell of the durian permeated the entire cabin. Many passengers protested and refused to fly if the durian odor persisted.

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Why It's Prohibited in Checked Baggage

The reason for prohibiting durian in checked baggage is that the smell is caused by the production of compounds called Volatile Sulfur Compounds (VSCs), which are sulfur-containing compounds that evaporate easily. Furthermore, durian also contains other organic compounds, such as sugars and amino acids, that undergo chemical changes as the fruit ripens. This intensifies the durian's pungent odor to the point where it can potentially interfere with the functioning of the aircraft's Smoke Detector, causing an alarm.

An example occurred in 2023 when a Turkish Airlines cargo flight (TK1855) departed from Istanbul for Barcelona. While in the air, the smoke detector alarm was triggered by a pungent odor or strong smell, prompting the pilot to decide to return to Istanbul airport for inspection. It was found that ripening durian had been loaded into the cargo hold.

The Exception: Processed Durian

As for processed durian (such as dried durian chips or durian paste), it can generally be brought on a plane, both as carry-on and checked baggage, as it does not have the same strong odor as fresh durian. However, it should still be packed securely and kept well-sealed in a bag.

Therefore, durian is a prohibited fruit on many airlines, especially for international flights. Any passenger planning to bring strong-smelling fruit should consult the airline before checking in.