In 2024 alone, a whopping 376 million passengers were recorded across the 135 operational airports in India, including for both domestic and international travel. Marking a new record, India’s domestic air passenger traffic crossed 5 lakhs for the first time in a single day; precisely 5,05,412 passengers on November 17, 2024. Mumbai International Airport alone handled 27,200 flights and nearly 48 lakh (4.77 million) passenger footfalls in November this year.
The meteoric rise in numbers of civil aviation traffic has increased the workload on the airport security personnel when it comes to screening passengers and their cabin bags. Consequently, the quality and safety of air travel has become a matter of concern these days, especially in view of insufficient staffing for security checking at Indian airports. Major airports like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru will collectively require more than 5000 additional security personnel in 2025.
The more passengers, the more security lines – which, to some extent, affects the on-time performance (OTP) of airlines at international airports in India. The government of India has curbed hand baggage allowance for all flyers given the increasing passenger numbers and the current resource challenges. With air traffic set to hit new records as the airline network and fleet are likely to expand in 2025, the one-hand-bag policy is being enforced now.
Precisely, you can carry only one cabin bag, one laptop bag, or one handbag on board while traveling by air within and out of India. A second carry-on bag must be checked in. This amendment to the hand baggage policy was made two years ago, but it was not enforced. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which primarily deal with the Indian airport security, have now called on airlines to enforce it strictly with immediate effect.
Is the new one-cabin-bag policy for only domestic passengers?
Reportedly, this equally applies to international travelers flying out of India. Many travelers scheduled to take international flights from India to USA, the UK, the UAE, Singapore and other overseas destinations have a domestic connection to major airports in their itineraries. So, the one-hand-bag policy applies to the very beginning of their journey from the first departure airport.
The revised hand baggage rules come with guidelines and exemptions:
Passengers booking economy flight tickets or premium economy seats cannot carry more than more than 7kg of handbag, according to the stricter rules imposed by the government. The revised hand baggage allowance for first-class and business class flights is up to 10kg. cabin bags must conform to the dimensions: 55cm in height (21.6-inch), 40cm in length (15.7-inch), and 20cm in width (7.8-inch).
Only those who booked their domestic or international flight tickets on or before May 4, 2024 are exempted from India’s new one cabin baggage rule for airlines. You can carry cabin baggage up to 8 kg in economy, 10 kg in premium economy, and 12 kg in business/first class.
AIR INDIA IS NOT ALLOWING 50 POUNDS OF SUIT CASE THAT CAME FROM TORONTO CANADA TO NEW DELHI AIRPORT AND AIR INDIA IS NOT LETTING SUIT CASE TO GO TO AMRITSAR AIRPORT , IT IS SAME TICKET , STAY AWAY FROM AIR INDIA PLEASE . SCREW UP OF AIR INDIA .
Couple of points needing clarification.
So it is one cabin bag AND one backpack/laptop case.
What are the requirements on the backpack? Overall weight in particular. I have seen travelers with quite bulky backpacks.
I have travelled recently and they said that it’s ok to carry backpack but again both backpack and the cabin luggage combined should not be more than 8kg excluding books and travel documents.
Only one bag is allowed regardless if you have laptop or not. Rest of the bags have to be checked in.
Its one bag period!
3 kg Max for personal items like backpack or ladies purse
Cabin bag it’s two kg weight already how can we put seven kg weight and in purse or backpack we can’t put seven kg so without bagweight consider 7kg
It seems more like to help the airlines, charge excess baggage and for the eateries to make money rather than anything to do with Security checks. If more manpower is required for security checks, that should be done along with the security equipment, than such harassment of passengers. Imagine carrying one trolley and opening and closing the same for laptop and iPad inspections. Nothing but a joke.
Prmium economy is a nonsense. When there is baggage allowance
And you will not be allowed to use toilets seperatly one’s you are inside the Aircraft, why we prefer premium economy, I don’t understand. Please for heaven sake don’t prefer premium economy till they prefer you .
I’m all for this new policy, but here where I have a problem. As it is not carried out for all passengers, the airport personnel seems to be more enforceable towards NRI’s , speaking from experience and are very rude. The policy must be enforced for all passengers.
Hi Jay! We could not agree more on this. The policy should be enforced equally and equitably for all passengers.
If a person has one handbag, one still needs a purse as a woman or a small bag gir essentials like passports or cash
Imagine if one has to open the handbag everytime the passport, ticket or any other travel document us required. Doesn’t make any sense. Sizes or weight maybe restricted, but not allowing a purse a small pouch is ridiculous and only a harassment to travellers.
Is a laptop bag allowed apart from the 7 kg baggage allowance in the cabin on air India flight from Newark to Kolkata
Hi Alka! In compliance with Indian security regulations, Air India recommends only one cabin bag of up to 7 kg in Economy and Premium Economy travel cabins. Even if you are allowed to carry one a laptop bag along with a cabin bag, the combined weight should not exceed 7kg in Economy and Premium Economy cabins.
I think , Laptop backpack should not weigh more than 3kg. That’s the limit. !!
This is only to charge foreigners(NRI/expats) more money and make their life miserable as soon as you arrive in India….
How does this policy help?
Does it reduce the load on airport security staff? – If yes, govt and airport must invest on better machines and equipment during security check. Ability to scan the bags better avoids taking out everything. I have see these people ask you to take out keys and wired earphones because either the system is not capable or they are not capable to identify these things effectively.
Airlines don’t have trained staff to handle baggage soring in the cabins. Everything is chaotic and random.
Why should this Government poke their nose.They are favorite g airlin s and cheating citizens.Let Airlines and passengers decide in a free market society.
Considering the size of hand luggage people carry and how they hog more than their space in the cabins I’m glad this is being imposed. I wish all airlines make it very strict rules that you only get your assigned amount of space attached to your seat
So, one could take a cabin bag and a backpack or a computer bag while departing from, say, USA. Is the weight limit still 7 kgs total for the two pieces of luggage?
I guess while returning from India, the passenger will either need to pack the computer bag for the backpack) inside the carry-on bag or check-in one of the cabin bags.
As usual, retarded rules by brain dead people. Instead of improving security, investing in better techniques and adding additional manpower, let’s cause inconvenience to the pax by making their travel experience more restricted. You don’t see such rules in other airports in middle east an Asia.
As if it wasn’t enough that airlines were being greedy, now this. I think the future is high speed rail which can carry more for less and they are catching up to the speeds of aircraft. It’s only a matter of time.
Do infants allowed a extra bag with feeding essential products
Hi Delvy! It is recommended that you check with the airline directly.
And here I thought India was being far more progressive in recent years. These retarded rules by people who sit in offices and don’t go through the challenges of business travel tell me differently.
I cannot think of one country in the world where a laptop bag is combined with an overnight bag. This will actually slow the process down as all documents are kept in a backpack for ease of access.
And how does one work on a flight? Open a small suitcase to get the laptop out? Idiots!
my international boarding pass …
A laptop will eventually get damaged if it is not in a laptop bag/ sleeve.
Laptop cannot be put by itself in a suitcase.
The rule is bulls**t since every one carries laptop.
So what should be allowed is 1 laptop bag (3-4 kg) and one carry-on Bag (7-8Kg)
Anything else is just Passenger Harassment
Every Country allows this rule => Only India seems to have an issue 🙁
Making money by harassing passengers is not a good choice – it discourages travel to India
What should ideally be allowed is one carry on bag ( not exceeding 7 kg including weight of bag as per mentioned dimensions) and one laptop bag ( weight not exceeding 3 kg) which one should ideally be able to keep below ur front seat . ( Weather laptop bag of 3 kg is included in 7 kg is to be clarified)
I have travelled in so many countries, but India is the worst when it comes to checking your hand luggage. Stupid people making stupid rules who have never travelled anywhere they should see how advance other countries are.