Malaysia Airlines bans checked baggage on some Europe flights

– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET: Malaysia Airlines said yesterday it has temporarily banned checked-in baggage on some flights to Europe because of “unreasonably strong head winds” on the longer routes it is having to take for safety reasons.

The airline did not elaborate on the safety reasons behind its new flight paths to Europe, but one of its airliners was shot down over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine in 2014 with the loss of all 298 people on board.

The national carrier said in an advisory on its website it could only accommodate one cabin bag of up to 7kg for economy passengers and two bags of up to 14kg for business and first class passengers.

“The longer flight path consumes more jet fuel and for safety reasons Malaysia Airlines has had to impose temporary limitations on the checked in baggage allowance,” it said, referring to the routes to Europe it was flying for safety reasons.

“Passengers who wish to check in their luggage will be able to do so, however their baggage will only arrive later,” it said.

The airline said the baggage limitations applied to flights to Amsterdam and Paris operated by its Boeing 777 aircraft.

The airline suffered two disasters in 2014.

In March that year, its flight MH370 carrying 239 passengers and crew disappeared while on a flight to China and is believed to have gone down in the Indian Ocean.

Last year, it appointed a new Chief Executive Christoph Mueller, who turned around Aer Lingus during his tenure as chief executive of the Irish carrier.

— Phuket Gazette Editors