IATA pushes global campaign telling fliers to leave bags in evacuations
Why it matters: Aircraft must be emptied within 90 seconds, but only 61% of surveyed travelers knew to leave belongings behind.
The International Air Transport Association launched a global safety campaign on June 8 urging airline passengers to leave cabin baggage behind during emergency evacuations. Backed by the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, the “Save a Life, Not a Bag” push responds to repeated cases of travelers stopping for luggage or filming as they exit planes. IATA said that behavior can block aisles and exits, slow other passengers and even damage evacuation slides. In a survey of 1,200 travelers in Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, only 61% correctly said passengers should leave all personal items behind, and 1 in 10 said they might still take bags during an evacuation.