Air travellers in India will need to scale down their carry-on baggage. New regulations from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), announced Wednesday, limit passengers to one handbag or cabin bag weighing up to 7 kilograms on all flights. This change is part of government efforts to reduce congestion at security checkpoints and streamline airport operations.
The BCAS and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) are working together to put these stricter hand luggage rules in place. Under the new measures, any additional bags beyond the allowed cabin bag must be checked in.
Airlines like IndiGo and Air India have already updated their baggage policies to match the new rules. If you are flying economy or premium economy with Air India, you can take one handbag weighing up to seven kilograms. If you are in first or business class, this goes up to 10 kilograms. The bag must also fit within specific dimensions: 40 cm long, 20 cm wide, and 55 cm high.
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IndiGo passengers can take one cabin bag, which must be no bigger than 115 cm in length and weigh no more than seven kilograms. They can also take one small personal item, like a handbag or a slim laptop bag, weighing up to three kilograms. This means an IndiGo passenger can have one cabin bag and one personal item.
The increase in air travel, especially in India, has led to busy airports and longer waits at security checks. By limiting cabin baggage, the authorities hope to shorten these waits, speed up boarding, and create a more comfortable environment on board for everyone.
If passengers ignore the new hand baggage rules, they could face extra charges or other consequences.
Here is a summary of the new baggage rules:
- You can only take one piece of hand luggage onto the plane. This applies whether you are flying within India or to another country.
- Any extra bags must be checked in before you board.
- If you are flying economy or premium economy, your hand luggage can weigh up to seven kilograms.
- For Air India business class passengers, the limit is 10 kilograms.
- There are also size limits. Your bag must not be bigger than 55 cm high, 40 cm long, and 20 cm wide.
Who is not affected by these new rules?
If you booked your flight before 4 May 2024, these new weight restrictions do not apply to you. You can still bring the previously allowed baggage: eight kilograms for economy, 10 kilograms for premium economy, and 12 kilograms for first or business class.
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There has been a clear rise in the number of people flying recently. In November, Indian airlines carried 14.2 million passengers on domestic routes, which is about 12 per cent more than in the same month the year before. This increase is due to higher demand for air travel.
Data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) shows that between January and November 2024, domestic airlines carried 146.4 million passengers, compared to 138.2 million in the same period the previous year. This equals annual growth of 5.91 per cent and monthly growth of 11.90 per cent.
