Flight Case vs Hard Case: Flying With Camera Gear in India

A flight case and a hard case do the same job for camera gear: protect it in transit. A traditional flight case is a heavy panel-and-metal box built for freight and touring. A moulded hard case is lighter, sealed against water, and small sizes can go in the cabin. For flying within India with camera gear, a sealed moulded hard case is the practical flight case: a small one as cabin baggage for bodies and lenses, a larger one in the hold for everything else. Spare lithium batteries always stay in the cabin.

Flight case vs hard case: what the terms mean

A flight case, also called a road case, traditionally means a box made of plywood or aluminium panels with metal edges, corners and recessed latches. It was built for touring bands, broadcast crews and freight, where the case is thrown into trucks and cargo holds night after night. It is very strong, but heavy, and rarely sealed against water.

A moulded hard case is a single piece of injection-moulded plastic with a rubber gasket around the lid. It is lighter than a panel-built box, it is waterproof when IP rated, and it shrugs off impacts by flexing slightly. For photographers and filmmakers, this is what "flight case" usually means today.

You will also see ATA 300 mentioned. ATA Spec 300 is the airline industry's specification for packaging supplies shipped by air, published by Airlines for America, formerly the Air Transport Association. Several Case Kavach Vantage models list ATA 300; others do not, so check the product page for the exact ratings of each model.

Cabin or hold: how to split a camera kit

The simplest rule: anything expensive, fragile or powered by a lithium battery goes in the cabin with you. Everything bulky and robust goes in the hold.

• Cabin: camera bodies, lenses, drones, memory cards, drives with footage, and every spare battery and power bank.
• Hold: light stands, tripods, grip, lighting heads without batteries, cables, and anything else you could replace on location if you had to.

Cabin size rules: an Indian example

Every airline sets its own cabin baggage limits, and they change. As an example, IndiGo's published rule for its flights allows one piece of cabin baggage of up to 7 kg, with maximum dimensions of 55 x 35 x 25 cm and a total of length, width and height not over 115 cm. IndiGo states that these dimensions include handles and wheels. Check your own airline's page, and your ticket, before you fly.

What matters is the outer size of the case, not the inner. Here is how the smaller Vantage cases compare against that 55 x 35 x 25 cm limit, using each case's listed outer dimensions and empty weight:

Two cautions. The Vantage 270S and 270D sit just inside the 35 cm limit, so measure your own case with the handle before you rely on it. And a 7 kg allowance fills fast: a body, two lenses and batteries in a 2.2 kg case can use most of it. Weigh the packed case at home.

The Vantage 290S, built for a handheld gimbal, is 16 mm over the 35 cm width on that rule. Plan for it to go in the hold, packed tightly in its foam, or check whether your airline's limits are larger.

Lithium batteries: what the rules say

This is where an airline can refuse your bag. IATA's guidance for passengers, revised for the 2026 regulations, sets out the baseline that airlines follow:

• Spare lithium batteries go in carry-on baggage only. Never in a checked case.
• Each spare must be protected from short circuit: in its original packaging, with terminals taped over, or in its own plastic bag or pouch.
• Up to 100 Wh: spares allowed in the cabin without airline approval, up to 20 spare batteries per person.
• Over 100 Wh and up to 160 Wh: spares need airline approval, and are limited to 2 spare batteries per device.
• Over 160 Wh: not allowed as passenger baggage. These must travel as cargo under the dangerous goods rules.
• Power banks: a maximum of two, each not over 100 Wh, carry-on only. They must not be recharged from aircraft power, should not go in the overhead lockers, and should not be used to power other devices during taxi, take-off or landing.
• Devices with batteries inside, like cameras, should travel in the cabin. If one goes in checked baggage, it must be protected from damage and fully switched off, not in sleep mode.

IATA notes that airlines may set stricter conditions, especially for power banks, and Indian carriers can apply their own. Check your airline's dangerous goods page before you fly.

Every lithium-ion battery must have its Watt-hour rating marked on the case. Watt-hours equal amp-hours multiplied by volts. If staff cannot find or verify the rating, the airline may refuse the battery. Small camera batteries are rarely the issue. Large cinema batteries are the ones to check.

Why a pressure valve matters when you fly

A fully sealed case closed at one air pressure and opened at another can lock itself shut. The air inside no longer matches the air outside, and the lid refuses to lift. It happens after flights, after driving up to a hill station, and even after sealing a case on a hot day and opening it somewhere cold.

Every Case Kavach Vantage case has an automatic pressure equalisation valve. It balances the pressure inside with the air outside, so the lid opens normally when you land, while the case stays waterproof.

Packing a hold case properly

1. Cut foam to fit every item. Nothing should move when you shake the closed case. Our guide to custom hard case foam explains how.
2. Take out all batteries from lights, monitors and recorders, and move them to your cabin bag.
3. Wipe the gasket, then close every latch fully. A half-closed latch weakens the seal on that edge.
4. Label the case with your name and phone number inside and out.
5. Weigh it. Airlines charge for excess weight, and a heavy case gets handled roughly. Two medium cases are often better than one huge one.

For large lighting or production kits in the hold, a wheeled case saves your back through terminals. The Vantage 335D-TR has wheels and a telescopic handle, with 465 x 335 x 220 mm of inner space and 4.42 kg empty weight.

Trains and road trips

The same case works on a train berth or in a car boot. On long rail journeys, a cable lock through the handle and around the berth frame stops the case walking off while you sleep. In a car, keep the case out of direct sun where you can. Vantage cases are rated from minus 30 °C to 90 °C, except the 195L at minus 10 °C to 80 °C, but the camera inside has a narrower range than the case.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take a hard case as cabin baggage in India?
Yes, if its outer dimensions and packed weight are within your airline's limits. On IndiGo's published rule of 55 x 35 x 25 cm and 7 kg, the Vantage 180, 195L, 225, 270S and 270D fit on size. Weigh the packed case before you go.

Can camera batteries go in checked luggage?
Not as spares. IATA guidance restricts spare lithium batteries and power banks to carry-on baggage only, with terminals protected.

Do I need a flight case or a hard case for flying?
For camera gear, a sealed moulded hard case does the job of a flight case without the weight of a panel-built box, and small ones can travel in the cabin.

Why does my case lid stick after a flight?
The pressure inside no longer matches the outside. A case with an automatic pressure equalisation valve, like every Vantage case, avoids this.

Not sure which size you need? Use the Hard Case Size Finder, read the full hard case for camera buying guide, or browse all waterproof hard cases.