A utility knife may be considered a contraband item in certain circumstances, especially during security checks on railways and urban rail transit. For example, in a promotional campaign at Suzhou Railway Station, a utility knife was listed as one of the prohibited items. In addition, some regulations explicitly list utility knives in the prohibited list, and even in Foshan's urban rail transit, utility knives are considered prohibited items. This suggests that utility knives are indeed considered contraband in certain modes of transportation.
However, it is worth noting that utility knives are not regulated knives, a classification based on the fact that they do not belong to knives with specific regulatory standards. This may mean that in certain circumstances, such as when traveling by plane, a utility knife may not be considered a strict contraband item, especially if the blade length does not exceed the standards set by aviation safety regulations. However, when traveling by train or urban rail transit, due to the stricter security inspection regulations of these modes of transportation, a utility knife is likely to be considered a contraband item and not allowed to be carried.
Therefore, if you plan to carry a utility knife on an airplane, it is recommended to check the specific regulations of the airline to determine whether it is allowed. When taking a train or urban rail transit, you should comply with the corresponding safety inspection regulations and avoid carrying a utility knife to avoid inconvenience.