 |
Ghana
must go bags suitcases and containers Courtesy of Flickriver
|
From Wednesday, March 8,
Dubai will introduce a new baggage rule that will make bags without flat
surfaces to be rejected at airports.
 |
Passengers
trying to check in baggage that is round or bound together will be rejected as
of March 8. Courtesy Dubai Airports
|
When
this rule gets enforced, the popular ‘Ghana Must Go’ bag that is very common
among Nigerian travellers, will be regarded as “non-compliant baggage”.
Commenting
on the development, Ali Angizeh, vice-president of terminal operations at the
Dubai International, said irregular shaped or oversized bags could disrupt the
advanced baggage systems that would soon be introduced.
He
explained that the new rule would reduce the risk of baggage mishandling at
check-in counters.
“Dubai
International provides some of the most sophisticated baggage systems in the
world,” Angizeh said.
“However,
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.
“These
jams can shut down sections of our system, delay baggage delivery to the
aircraft and inconvenience our customers.
“We
are trying to get the message out there as much as possible. Passengers, who
show up at the airport with non-compliant baggage, will also be given the
option to have it re-packed in boxes for a fee.”
He
said airports have notified airlines operating into Dubai of the imminent
change and has updated its websites to create more awareness.
The
DXB handled approximately 9.3 million bags in January this year.
The
National, a UAE-based newspaper, quoted John Dyett, head of baggage operations at
the airport, as saying though the authorities were concerned about the interest
of passengers, they chose to focus more on how the new process would facilitate
smooth operations.
“This
type of baggage will be placed into cardboard boxes, which are flat sided and
as a result can go through our system without causing blockages,” he said.
“This
service will be provided at the same counter where passengers get plastic
wrapping for their suitcases.
“We
have empathy with passengers but we also have to ensure the smooth operation of
the airport and delays with baggage drop-off can then lead to delays in
check-in operations.
“The huge scale and complex nature of the airport means that its baggage system is more susceptible to jamming by oversized or irregular-shaped bags, he said.”
No comments:
Post a Comment