Aer Lingus kitesurf equipment: fees, weight limits and how to pack

Kitesurfing isn't on Aer Lingus' sports equipment list. For anything that isn't listed, Aer Lingus asks you to get in touch first and check whether it can be carried. If it takes your kite bag on the same terms as a surfboard, that's €40 online in advance or €50 through the Guest Services Centre or at the airport, per person each way. The limit is 23kg and 1 item per person.

This is based on Aer Lingus' website on 25 October 2026. The fee table shows euros and pounds: £40 both online and at the airport. The general side of flying with kite gear (packing, claims, the Montreal Convention) is in flying with kite gear: airline fees and packing.

Aer Lingus kite gear in numbers

What a return trip costs

I'm assuming Aer Lingus accepts the kite bag on the same terms as a surfboard. The fee doesn't depend on distance, so it's the same on a short hop as on a flight to the Canaries.

I've worked out the excess at €10 per kilo, the rate Aer Lingus gives for checked bags. For sports equipment it only says "normal excess baggage rates".

What's different about Aer Lingus

Kitesurfing isn't listed

The list covers surfboards, windsurfing, skis, snowboards, golf, bikes and diving gear, but not kites. Aer Lingus keeps it simple: if your equipment isn't listed, get in touch to check whether it can be carried. The online form for adding equipment needs your booking reference, so the website won't show you in advance which option it offers for a kite. I'd ask before buying the ticket and save the reply.

Per direction or per flight?

Above the fee table, Aer Lingus says fees are per passenger, per direction; below it, per item, per flight. On a direct flight that makes no difference. With a connection in Dublin, ask whether you pay once or for each flight.

Saver and a suitcase on top

Within Europe, Saver fares include no checked bag, while Plus, Advantage and AerSpace include 1 x 20kg. A 20kg bag on Saver costs €28, €45 or €60 each way at booking, depending on the route (near, mid, far). The kite bag has its own sports fee, so if you travel with just the kite bag and hand luggage, you don't need to buy a suitcase.

23kg, not 20

Different limits: a checked bag in your fare is 20kg, sports equipment 23kg. I'd put heavier items like the harness in the kite bag rather than the suitcase.

Partner flights and Regional

On one ticket with a partner airline, a single allowance applies, and extra bags can only be bought at the airport from the first airline on your journey. Aer Lingus Regional flights (flight numbers 3000-3999) carry sports equipment only if there's space on the day, and surfboards there are limited to 2.05m.

Batteries and CO2 cartridges

Power banks: at most 2 per person, up to 100Wh, not used or charged during the flight and not in the overhead locker. A life jacket with a small gas cylinder must be notified to Aer Lingus 48 hours in advance, as must spare batteries of 100-160Wh.

Practical tips

Before paying for the ticket, check:

1. Aer Lingus' answer: will they carry a kite, and which item should you book?
2. Weight: sports equipment up to 23kg.
3. Route: direct, or a connection in Dublin?
4. Who flies: Aer Lingus, Regional or a partner?

Where Aer Lingus can take you kiting

From Dublin, Aer Lingus has several flights a week to Lanzarote (about 3 hours 56 minutes direct) and also sells flights to Fuerteventura. The spots on both islands are in kitesurfing in the Canary Islands.

On the kite safari in Egypt I go on, there are pumps and a compressor on board and a twintip costs €60 for 6 days (2026 prices), so you can leave the board at home. The kite safari packing list covers what else to bring.