Iberia has to limit the weight of carry-on bags due to overhead baggage safety concerns

A Spanish court has ordered Iberia to limit the weight of hand luggage taken on an Airbus A350-900 aircraft to prevent crew injuries. cabin crew news service.

judge rejected the demands a coalition of flight attendant unions did not have to close the very large lockers or “bins” and instead ordered Iberia to limit the weight of carry-on luggage.

Each cantilever overhead locker is designed to carry a maximum of 30kg to 45kg – the equivalent of five full-size carry-on boxes – and must be pushed up to close. And since Iberia does not control the weight of hand luggage, the actual weight of each locker may be significantly higher than the stated maximum.

The report states that cabin crew have to lift these lockers overhead while bending over passengers due to the design of the seats. It said that with 112 lockers on each A350-900, in some cases, flight attendants could be expected to perform this action 14 times each.

The ruling acknowledges that Iberia conducted a risk assessment but found that Iberia failed to “establish preventive measures.”

While the crew members want to replace the containers, the judge said that was not possible, but ordered Iberia to start weighing hand luggage and ensure that the allowed weight is maintained. Iberia must also ensure that when smaller crew (below 1.63 meters) are on board, that two crew members close the locker to minimize the risk of injury.

And pCurrent European research by Lufthansa Consulting for the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency shows no significant change in the standard weight of passengers since 2008, although it found that passengers now take an average of 1.5kg more hand luggage.

The average weight of hand luggage is 7.7 kg. Women take with them 0.6 kg less than men, and passengers take on average 1 kg more hand luggage in winter than in summer. Business travelers carry an average of 1 kg more in hand luggage than tourists. There is also a significant difference in flight range. Compared to short-haul flights, medium-haul passengers carry an average of 0.2 kg more hand luggage, and long-haul passengers – 0.4 kg more.