Starting March 8, 2017, passengers will no longer be allowed to check in bags without flat surfaces at Dubai Airports. The new policy aims to help improve baggage operations and reduce the risk of mishandling at Dubai International.
The new policy entails the following rules:
- All bags should have a flat surface.
- No irregular-shaped bags
- No round bags
- No oversized bags
Image Credit: mediaoffice.ae
New Baggage Rules at DXB: Luggage Must Have Flat SurfaceCause of Baggage Jams
According to the Vice President of Terminal Operations, Ali Angizeh, Dubai International has one of the most sophisticated baggage systems worldwide. However, he stated that “even the most technologically-advanced systems can be disrupted by irregular-shaped or oversized bags.”
“Bags that are round or do not have a flat surface of any kind are by far the largest source of baggage jams,” he explained. “These jams can shut down sections of our system, delay baggage delivery to the aircraft, and inconvenience our customers.”
Option for Repacking
Still, Angizeh added that passengers who come to the airport with round or irregular-shaped bags will be given the option for repacking. For a fee, these bags will be repacked in boxes before checking in.
To spread the word, Dubai Airports has been announcing the new policy as much as possible – through its website, mobile app, and even the signage at the airport.
Notably, the DXB handled about 9.3 million bags this January alone. It has one of the biggest baggage handling systems in the world, with each bag spending about 29 minutes in the system. With the new policy, the airport can continue running the baggage system efficiently.