Malaysia Airlines temporarily bans

luggage on Europe-bound flights

By Karla Cripps, CNN
Updated 1405 GMT (2205 HKT) January 6, 2016

Malaysia Airlines responded to strong headwinds by temporarily banning

checked luggage on Europe-bound flights from Kuala Lumpur. (File photo)

Story highlights

Malaysia Airlines temporarily banned checked-in luggage on its Europebound flights this week

The airline said "unreasonably strong headwinds" limited its ability to

safely carry luggage

Aviation expert says such measures are unheard of in the industry

(CNN)Frequent fliers are used to occasionally finding one of their bags hasn't
arrived at their destination with them, whether due to a tight connection or airline
error.
But few have ever been told prior to boarding that their checked luggage simply
wouldn't be joining them on the same flight.
That's what happened to Malaysia Airlines passengers flying to Europe from
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this week when the airline announced it was
temporarily banning checked luggage from flights on January 5 and 6 due to
"unreasonably strong headwinds" limiting the airlines' ability to safely carry
baggage in cargo.
Passengers who did wish to check luggage at the airport were told it'd be
shipped to them on a later flight.
On Wednesday morning the airline updated its travel advisory saying checkedin baggage would again be allowed on all flights as per the normal allowance.
"The headwinds over the last four days were in excess of 200 knots, which can
add up to 15% fuel burn on a B777-200 aircraft," said the airline in a statement.
"Based on its current risk assessment, done on a daily basis, the airline is now
able to take a shorter route on European flights."

Expert: Unusual response to headwinds

Why ban luggage?

Strong headwinds cause flights to burn more fuel than normal and lightening the
load reduces the speed of the burn.
What makes the Malaysia Airlines situation unique is how the airline responded.
Aviation expert Tom Ballantyne, chief correspondent for "Orient Aviation"
magazine, told CNN he's never heard of an airline taking such measures.

"Normally, if there's an issue with range because of headwinds, a carrier would

reduce the passenger load overall," said Ballantyne.
"Obviously that would also reduce the revenue an airline is making from that
particular flight, but it's not as if a headwind issue is a permanent situation.
"It probably arises only a handful of days over a year. And clearly, no other
carriers flying nonstop from Asia to Europe are taking similar measures."
@LakshmiWoodings Hi Lakshmi, we're very sorry for the inconvenience
caused. Kindly note that each airline conducts their own risk assessment
Malaysia Airlines (@MAS) January 5, 2016
Mohsin Aziz, an aviation analyst at Maybank, based in Kuala Lumpur, told CNN
that Malaysia Airlines' Boeing 777-200ER, which the company uses for its Paris
and Amsterdam routes, is an old aircraft that's been around for 17 years and
can fly only 14 hours on a full tank.
Newer engines can last up to 17 hours.
Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Paris and Amsterdam take about 12 hours -- so
there's little leeway with the older jet, he said.
Malaysia Airlines uses an Airbus A380 on its Kuala Lumpur to London route.
On Twitter, responses to the airline's January 4 announcement of the temporary
restrictions ranged from bafflement to anger, with many questioning why other
airlines weren't imposing similar bans despite facing the same weather
conditions.
Malaysia Airlines responded that each airline conducts its own risk assessments
and the safety of their passengers is of the utmost importance.