It might become necessary to lock airplane overhead bins for safety, according to a group representing the world’s airlines.
IATA, the International Air Travel Association, has launched a campaign with the slogan “save a life, not a bag,” hoping to convince travelers to leave everything behind in an emergency and concentrate on keeping everyone safe during an evacuation.
The campaign was launched at IATA’s annual meeting this week in Rio, following social media videos of passengers carrying suitcases, reaching into overheads and even stopping to video the evacuation. The group’s statement pointed out that taking baggage clogs aisles, slows movement and can injure passengers—and the bags can puncture exit slides. They recommend that passenger keep their really critical items such as money, meds and passport, on their person.
Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice-president for operations and security, warns that if the campaign isn’t successful, it could lead to fines and to a recommendation for overheads to be locked to prevent abuse.
