New Luggage Rule Mandates Compliance for Airlines Starting February 26th

New luggage rule for airlines: The aviation security regulator has set a deadline of February 26 for the airlines

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has instructed all seven Indian airlines to expedite baggage delivery to passengers within 30 minutes of landing, effective from February 26. The directive, issued by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, applies to Air India, Indigo, Akasa, SpiceJet, Vistara, AIX Connect, and Air India Express.

This move follows BCAS’s scrutiny of baggage arrival times at six major airports—Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru—in January. Despite weekly monitoring showing some improvement in airline performance, it still falls short of the mandated standards. The regulations stipulate that the first baggage must reach the carousel within 10 minutes of the aircraft engine shutting off, with the last bag following suit within 30 minutes.

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While monitoring remains ongoing at the six airports, BCAS has directed airlines to ensure compliance across all destinations they serve. These requirements are integral components of the Operation, Management, and Delivery Agreement (OMDA) signed by the Airports Authority of India, particularly during the privatization era approximately 20 years ago.

Naiteek Bhatt