Yes, a padel racket can usually go in your hand luggage. The catch is that it has to fit inside a bag your ticket actually allows. And on the cheapest fares, it often doesn't.
UK airport security is the easy part. The gov.uk hand luggage list allows tennis racquets in both hand and hold luggage. Padel isn't named, but security is rarely where the problem is. The airline's bag sizes are.
So here's what five UK airlines say, taken from each airline's own site, all checked on 19 October 2026. Rules change, so follow the links before you pack.
The one number that matters: 45.5 cm
The FIP Rules of Padel cap a racket at 45.5 cm long (head plus handle), 26 cm wide and 38 mm thick. Hold that number up against the free under-seat bags and you see the issue straight away. Several airlines allow a 40 cm bag for free. A full-length padel racket won't lie flat in it.
The table
| Airline | What it says about rackets | Free bag | Bag a racket fits in | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways | Sports rackets allowed in a slim protective case as one of your two hand baggage pieces. Case under 80 x 45 x 10 cm, two rackets max, nothing else inside it. | Two pieces of hand baggage | The racket case itself, stowed on top in the overhead locker | 19 Oct 2026 |
| easyJet | No racket rule. Its sports equipment page doesn't list rackets. | 45 x 36 x 20 cm under-seat bag | Large cabin bag, 56 x 45 x 25 cm (paid, or included with some fares) | 19 Oct 2026 |
| Ryanair | Any sports equipment allowed on board if it fits your cabin bag allowance. | 40 x 30 x 20 cm personal bag | The 10 kg 55 x 40 x 20 cm bag that comes with Priority & 2 Cabin Bags | 19 Oct 2026 |
| Jet2 | Names padel. Sporting rackets go as hand baggage within your standard allowance. | 10 kg bag, 56 x 45 x 25 cm, plus a 40 x 30 x 20 cm under-seat bag | The included 10 kg bag | 19 Oct 2026 |
| TUI | No racket rule on its luggage pages. | 10 kg bag, 55 x 40 x 20 cm, plus a 40 x 30 x 20 cm personal item | The included 10 kg bag | 19 Oct 2026 |
"Free bag" means the bag included with a basic ticket. "Bag a racket fits in" is our reading of each airline's published sizes against the 45.5 cm racket length. Only Jet2 and BA write a racket rule down.
Airline by airline
British Airways
BA is the only one of the five with a detailed racket rule. It's tucked inside a collapsed panel on the sports equipment page, under rackets, rods, cues, sticks and skateboards.
The rule is written for sports rackets, with tennis, squash and badminton given as examples. Padel isn't named, but it fits the description. The conditions:
- The racket goes in a slim protective case.
- That case counts as one of your two pieces of hand baggage.
- Two rackets max, and the case must be under 80 cm long, 45 cm wide and 10 cm deep.
- Nothing else in the case. No balls, no clothes.
- It goes on top of other bags in the overhead locker.
Three or more rackets have to go in the hold, in a protective bag, as part of your checked allowance.
The 10 cm depth is the bit to watch. A padel racket is up to 38 mm thick, so a slim cover with one or two rackets can work. If yours is a full padel bag rather than a cover, check its depth against that 10 cm.
easyJet
easyJet says nothing about rackets. Its sports equipment page covers golf clubs, skis, bikes, boards and diving kit, then tells you to contact customer services for anything not listed.
So you're working from bag sizes. The free under-seat bag is 45 x 36 x 20 cm. A racket right at the 45.5 cm limit is half a centimetre too long to lie flat in it. Some rackets are a touch shorter, so measure yours before you rely on it.
The large cabin bag (56 x 45 x 25 cm) takes a racket easily. It's always cheaper to add it online. easyJet charges £60 to add one at the gate.
Ryanair
Ryanair's sports rule is short. Any sports equipment can come on board if it fits your cabin bag allowance.
The catch is the allowance. Every fare includes a 40 x 30 x 20 cm personal bag, and a full-size padel racket is longer than 40 cm. To carry it on, you realistically need Priority & 2 Cabin Bags, which adds a 10 kg bag of 55 x 40 x 20 cm.
If you'd rather not pay for that, Ryanair says you can check the racket in and pay the sports equipment fee instead.
Jet2
Jet2 is the clearest. Its sports equipment table has a row for sporting rackets, and padel is named alongside badminton, squash and tennis. They go as hand baggage within your standard allowance.
Every Jet2 ticket includes a 10 kg bag of up to 56 x 45 x 25 cm, plus a 40 x 30 x 20 cm under-seat bag. The racket goes in the bigger one.
One thing to know: Jet2 says that on busy flights it may ask you to put your 10 kg bag in the hold. If you don't want your racket going in the hold unprotected, Jet2 sells a Guaranteed Cabin Luggage add-on. Or keep the racket in a padded cover regardless.
TUI
TUI's luggage pages don't mention rackets. A TUI Airways ticket includes one 10 kg hand luggage bag of up to 55 x 40 x 20 cm, plus a small personal item of 40 x 30 x 20 cm.
A racket fits in the 10 kg bag. If your hand luggage is over the size or weight limit, TUI says it'll go in the hold and a charge may apply. And if you want to check in sports equipment separately, TUI asks you to pre-book it by phone, or it may be refused at the airport.
What to pack around the racket
On BA, the racket case has to hold the racket and nothing else. On the others, the racket shares a bag with everything you'll wear. Either way, a few small things are worth knowing.
Spare overgrips go in the other bag. They're flat and light. A pack of Padelism overgrips (3 for £7) tucks into a side pocket. If you've never changed one, our overgrip fitting guide walks through it.
Socks fill gaps. Grip socks are £14 a pair, come in shoe-size ranges and roll up small enough to pad the space around a racket in a cabin bag.
Pack the cover, not just the racket. A bare racket in a 10 kg bag gets pressed against every hard edge in there. A padded cover costs very little space.
Checking it in instead? Use a hard-shell or well-padded case, or pack the racket in the middle of your suitcase with clothes all round it, away from the edges. TUI's own advice for sports equipment is to insure it for its replacement value, which is worth doing on any airline.
For everything else on a padel trip, from weather to kit counts, our padel holiday packing list covers it. I've played padel in the Algarve, Malaga and Madrid, and if Spain is where you're heading, the padel in Spain guide has where to play and how to book.
And for the heavy bits you'll want once the sun goes down, The Essentials is the off-court kit we make. UK delivery is free on orders of £75 and over.
FAQ
Does a padel racket count as one of my cabin bags? On BA, yes: the racket case counts as one of your two pieces of hand baggage. On easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2 and TUI there's no separate racket allowance, so it has to fit inside a bag you're already allowed.
Can I fly with two padel rackets in hand luggage? On BA, up to two rackets can share one slim case under 80 x 45 x 10 cm. Three or more must go in the hold. The other four airlines set no racket number; both rackets just need to fit inside your allowed bag.
Will a padel racket fit in Ryanair's free bag? Not lying flat. The free bag is 40 x 30 x 20 cm and a full-size racket is up to 45.5 cm long. Ryanair allows sports equipment on board only if it fits your cabin allowance, so most people need the 10 kg 55 x 40 x 20 cm bag.
Is a padel racket allowed through UK airport security? The gov.uk list allows tennis racquets in hand and hold luggage. Padel isn't listed by name, which is why the airline's own bag rules are the thing to check. If you want to know how the two rackets compare in size, see padel racket vs tennis racket.
