Shun Oversized Hand Bags For Performance Limited Airports: Aviation Authority

Aviation regulator DGCA has asked airlines to disallow oversized hand baggage on flights operating to airports having operational limitations as part of safety norms.

Airports having runway length limitation and other aspects such as higher elevation and reduced air density are considered as "performance limited" aerodromes.

To reiterate the need for airlines to strictly adhere to safety requirements at performance limited airports, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has come out with a fresh air safety circular.

There are a substantial number of such airports in different parts of the country, including the one in Leh.

Temperature, pressure, prevailing wind pattern, elevation of airport, runway condition and other factors can influence aircraft performance during take-off and landing.

"Since oversized hand baggage can lead to overloading and create safety hazard, the operator shall ensure that size of the hand baggage is restricted as per the dimensions of the overhead bins or available space under the seats of an aircraft," the circular said.

Carriers also have to make sure that the number of passengers onboard do not exceed the certified passenger carrying capacity of the aircraft.

Various factors can "affect the performance of large transport aircraft especially to/ from airports having runway length limitation which greatly limits the payload during high pressure altitude conditions," the circular, issued last month, said.

Besides, the flight crew has been asked to carry specific operational instructions onboard for ready reference.