- The carrier split
- Air India: both; IndiGo: checked only
- Air India pickle
- Cabin and checked; chilly pickle checked only
- IndiGo pickles
- No cabin; checked if packed to prevent damage
- The cabin jar
- 100 ml LAG rule applies; screener decides
- Destination
- Import rules are a separate check; declare as the destination requires
The short answer: yes, homemade pickle can fly, but where the jar sits depends on the carrier, and on an international route a second set of rules waits at the other end. Air India's restricted-items page, checked on 24 October 2026, lists pickle as allowed in both cabin and checked baggage, with one exception: chilly pickle goes in checked baggage only. IndiGo's dangerous goods table, checked the same day, lists pickles the other way round: a cross for the cabin, a check for checked baggage, on the condition that the jar is properly packed to prevent damage.
Same jar, same airport, two different answers. Here is what the two carriers' pages actually say, where the cabin problem really sits, and what changes at the destination.
What Air India and IndiGo actually say
Air India's restricted baggage page is the generous one here. It lists pickle as allowed on both, cabin and checked, with the single note that chilly pickle is only allowed in check-in baggage. The same page lists ghee and cooking oil as allowed on both too, with cabin carriage subject to the LAG restrictions and the checked quantity limited to 5 kg/l per passenger, which tells you how the page thinks about oily foods generally.
IndiGo's dangerous goods table keeps pickles out of the cabin entirely: a cross for cabin baggage and a check for checked baggage, with the condition "if properly packed prevent from damage". Neither page is a general Indian rule. Each is one carrier's policy, and the operating carrier's page is the one that decides your booking.
The cabin problem is the oil, not the pickle
Even where a carrier allows pickle in the cabin, the jar still has to get past the liquids rule. Air India's LAG list includes oils and any item of similar consistency at room temperature. Containers over 100 ml are not accepted through screening even if they are only half full, and everything liquid has to fit inside a single 1-litre transparent resealable bag. A home jar of mango pickle floating in mustard oil is very nearly the shape of item that rule was written for.
The cited pages give pickle no exemption from the LAG rule, and the security screener decides the item on the day. If the jar matters to you, plan for the hold rather than arguing at the tray table.
International adds a checkpoint you cannot see from here
Both cited pages govern the flight itself: what the airline will accept on its aircraft. They say nothing about whether the country you land in lets homemade food across its border. Food import rules belong to the destination's customs or agriculture authority, and they are a separate check these baggage pages do not cover. Make it before you fly, and declare the jar the way the destination requires: that can be a food question on the arrival form, and some countries require declaring food even without a prompt. A declared jar that fails inspection is a lost jar; an undeclared one can be a fine.
Packing it so the hold does not end up smelling of mustard oil
IndiGo's condition, properly packed to prevent damage, doubles as sensible advice on any carrier. An airtight jar with the lid taped shut, the jar inside a zip-lock bag, the bag inside a second bag, and the whole thing cushioned in the middle of the suitcase between clothes. Checked bags are thrown, stacked and sometimes stored belly-down; oil finds seams under pressure changes. If the pickle is worth carrying across a border, it is worth wrapping like it.
Common questions
Can I carry homemade pickle in cabin baggage on Air India? Air India's restricted-items page, checked on 24 October 2026, lists pickle as allowed in both cabin and checked baggage, with chilly pickle allowed in check-in baggage only. In the cabin the jar still has to pass the liquids rule: oils count as LAG, and containers over 100 ml are not accepted even when partially filled. The screener decides the jar on the day.
Can I carry pickle in cabin baggage on IndiGo? No. IndiGo's dangerous goods table, checked on 24 October 2026, lists pickles with a cross for cabin baggage and a check for checked baggage, on the condition that they are properly packed to prevent damage.
Is there a quantity limit for pickle in checked baggage? Air India's page sets no pickle-specific quantity limit; its 5 kg/l per passenger cap attaches to ghee and cooking oil, not pickle. IndiGo's stated condition is proper packing rather than quantity. Your normal checked baggage weight allowance still applies either way.
Can I carry homemade pickle to another country? The airline pages cover the flight, not the border. Food import rules at your destination are a separate check with that country's customs or agriculture authority, and they are not covered by either cited page. Declare food items the way the destination country requires; some countries require declaration even when no form asks.
Does the 100 ml rule really apply to pickle? Air India's LAG list covers oils and any item of similar consistency at room temperature, and containers over 100 ml are refused at screening even if partly full. The cited pages give pickle no exemption from this, and the airport screener has the final word.
Sources checked on 24 October 2026: Air India: restricted baggage, IndiGo: dangerous goods. The airport screener has the final word on the day.
A Miranda House graduate and lawyer who traded courtrooms for slow travel. Cheshta travels with the batches we host ourselves, with a soft spot for travelling alongside elders.
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