Meeting in Miami for its Annual General Meeting, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) tackled a number of issues crucial to the future - and present - of the industry. These included, as the title of the press release published on 9 June states, "the cabin baggage dilemma", with IATA highlighting "the variety of existing formats and airline policies". The association has therefore decided to take concrete action by proposing the IATA Cabin OK logo, designed to certify baggage whose dimensions (55 x 35 x 20 cm) should "theoretically" allow all passengers on aircraft with 120 seats or more to store their hand baggage.
"Determining optimum cabin baggage dimensions will provide a sensible and orderly solution to the problem of varying hand baggage dimensions," says Tom Windmuller, IATA Senior Vice President, Airports, Passengers, Cargo and Security. He adds: "We know that the current situation can be frustrating for passengers. This initiative will help eliminate inconsistencies and improve the travel experience for passengers.
According to the association, several major international airlines have already signed up to the project, which has been developed with baggage tracking solutions provider Okoban. The logo and unique identification code should make the work of airline staff easier. Business travellers, meanwhile, will have to upgrade their equipment if the IATA Cabin OK logo becomes widespread - or even compulsory. According to the association's forecasts, the first models should arrive on the market as early as this year.
