Cabin baggage to be made smaller

GLOBAL airlines have agreed new cabin baggage rules that are smaller than even the smallest sizes currently used, with the new 55 x 35 x 20cm being smaller even than Ryanair’s 55 x 40 x 20cm.

No UK airline has yet announced that it will use the new ‘optimum’ rules agreed by the International Air Transport Association meeting in Miami but the new luggage is being manufactured for first deliveries later this year.

The IATA said the new size would mean all passengers on aircraft of 120 seats or more – such as Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s - should be able to stow their hand luggage inside the cabin.

However, the IATA is only a trade body, not a regulatory agency, and it pointedly added that there could be no guarantee of this and added that airlines remained free to set their own maximum sizes.

At present Easyjet, Jet2 and British Airways allow baggage up to 56 x 45 x 25cm while Flybe is 55 x 40 x 23cm. One of the stingiest is Air France’s budget subsidiary Hop! which allows just 55 x 35 x 25cm, but even this is larger than the new regulation hand luggage.

Luggage that meets the new specification will carry a new 'IATA Cabin OK' when it comes on the market later this year.

Although no low-cost airline has yet said it will move to the new size they may be tempted by the time – and money - saved in quicker loading/unloading of the planes.

EasyJet said in a statement: “This is a smaller bag than we currently allow on board, but there is no doubt that an overall standard across all airlines would help customers.

"We will be assessing it with a range of other cabin initiatives to ensure we deliver the best possible experience for our customers.”