New 7kg Hand Baggage Limit for Indian Airlines Starts January 2025
Indian airlines will adopt a new hand baggage policy from January 2025, limiting passengers to one piece of baggage weighing 7 kg in economy and 10 kg in business class. Passengers with bookings made before May 4, 2024, are exempt from this change.
Photo Source: Times of India
Indian airlines are set to enforce a new hand baggage policy starting January 2025, as per the revised guidelines issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). The updated regulations will limit passengers to just one piece of hand luggage per flight, applicable to both domestic and international routes.
Under the new rules, passengers flying economy or premium classes will be allowed to carry a maximum of 7 kg of hand baggage. For business class travelers, the weight limit will be higher, at 10 kg. This includes both the weight and size of the baggage, which must not exceed the dimensions of 55 cm (21.6 inches) in height, 40 cm (15.7 inches) in length, and 20 cm (7.8 inches) in width. Any additional baggage will have to be checked in.
However, the new baggage guidelines will not affect those who booked their flights before May 4, 2024. Passengers who made their reservations before this date will be exempt from the revised rules, and they can carry hand baggage according to the older weight limits—8 kg for economy class, 10 kg for premium economy, and 12 kg for first or business class.
The number of airline passengers in India has surged significantly in recent months. In November 2024 alone, nearly 1.42 crore passengers were recorded on domestic routes, marking an increase of about 12 percent from the same time the previous year. The sharp rise in air traffic is attributed to the growing demand for air travel, reflected in a 5.91 percent increase in total domestic passengers in the first 11 months of 2024.
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