The EU Parliament is discussing a revision in the rights passengers have when taking musical instruments on to planes.
The proposals come as part of a wider assessment of air passenger rights and suggests:
“Musicians often do not know in advance under which conditions fragile and often very expensive instruments will be taken on board. Under the proposal, the air carriers must accept smaller instruments into the passenger cabin and must clearly indicate the terms and conditions for the transport of larger instruments in the cargo hold.”
The proposal comes after lobbying from the Musicians’ Union and the International Federation of Musicians, which saw more than 40,000 people sign a petition to persuade the EU to bring in legislation to clarify rules on the carrying of instruments.
“I am delighted that the European Parliament looks set to adopt this proposal, which will make such a difference to working musicians,” said MU general secretary and FIM president John Smith.
“The MU has been lobbying on this issue for years and actually reached an agreement with the Department for Transport in 2006, but we have long been saying that it is only by working at a European and international level that we can successfully tackle this issue, as the problem is much broader than just UK airlines.
“The problem has always been that existing law allows each airline to set their own policy regarding musical instruments, and this proposal would bring much needed uniformity and fairness to the whole sector,” he added.
