Airlines reveal plans for new hand luggage rules – and it’s good news for budget fliers

TRAVELLERS with hand luggage can breath a sigh of relief as airlines in Europe hope to unify bag dimensions.

Flyers will soon no longer have to worry if their bag is the right size if airlines across Europe work together to find a one size fits all solution.

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It comes after earlier reports suggested that airlines located in the European Union would be changing their rules on September 1 to allow one piece of hand luggage and one small personal item, such as a handbag, backpack, or laptop bag.

Despite the earlier reports, the case is not true and travellers should check the policy of their airline they are travelling with.

A European Commission spokesman said: “Unfortunately, there has been some misinformation spreading as no upcoming EU regulation foresees changes to hand luggage rules.”

However, there is some good news for travellers with airlines such as Ryanair, easyJet and British Airways attending a workshop in July to discuss the option.

The European Commission Department for Mobility and Transport stakeholder workshop took place to discuss possible common industry standards on the weight and dimensions of hand luggage.

Speaking to The Independent, Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Europe’s biggest budget carrier, Ryanair said: “We do think there should be a standardised agreement on what can be brought on board.

“We’re working with the other airlines in A4E to try to agree standardised sizes, but we haven’t reached an agreement with them yet.

“If you take our Boeing 737s [the only plane type Ryanair flies], we can only allow about half the passengers to bring a wheelie bag on board.

“There isn’t space on board the aircraft for any more bags.

“So we don’t think there’s going to be any legislation that will impose a right – or impose on all airlines, “You must take all these wheelie bags” – because the aircraft won’t fit the bags.”

The trade association Airlines for Europe (A4E) represents British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and other leading airlines.

A decade ago, the The European Court of Justice decided that hand baggage was a “necessary aspect” of air travel and that passengers should be able to take a reasonable amount without paying extra.

However it is up to airlines to decide what is reasonable.

Unfortunately, it is not known when a standardised rule will come into place.

Meanwhile a rule to allow more than 100ml liquids in carry on luggage has been pushed back as strict rules will continue.

The new rule was meant to be introduced on September 1 2024.

However, the European Commission has since reintroduced temporary restrictions on liquids, following a similar decision made by the UK government.

Therefore, passengers travelling from European airports will need to make sure their liquids do not exceed 100ml once again.

The rules come back into force from Sunday, September 1 – the end of this week – and are set to stay in place for an indefinite period of time, with no date yet announced for them to be lifted again.

All airports operating inside the 27 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Switzerland and Norway, will need to comply with the new rules.

The 100ml restrictions are already in place in the UK, with the Government reintroducing the measures on June 9, 2024.