Summer. Time for open-air concerts. Time to travel. And, as every year, the same problem arises: can violins, violas, cellos and double basses travel by air? If so, how?

The answer is far from straightforward, as not all airlines and airports apply the same boarding policies. Musicians often find themselves at the mercy of individual officials who interpret and enforce the rules with varying degrees of flexibility.

Just a few days ago, for example, the Manila Symphony Orchestra, travelling to Puerto Princesa on a Cebu Pacific flight, was told that its violins and violas could not be carried on board as hand luggage. Although the instruments themselves complied with the airline's carry-on size limits, their rigid protective cases exceeded the standard dimensions. The musicians were instructed to check the cases into the aircraft hold for an additional fee, a solution they refused to accept. After lengthy negotiations with the ground staff, they were eventually allowed to take the instruments into the cabin—but without their cases, a situation that was clearly far from ideal, both for passenger safety and for the protection of the instruments.

Another issue concerns airport security procedures. Cellist Alba Merchant, based in the United Kingdom, has described difficulties encountered during security screening at London Heathrow Airport, where her cello was removed from its case and temporarily retained until the inspection had been completed. Another musician, Savva Zverev, reported that at the same airport violins could not pass through the scanners and therefore had to be inspected manually, as they would not fit into the screening trays. Zverev noted that security personnel handling the instruments often lacked the necessary expertise, increasing the risk of scratches or other damage. Matt Oshida, a violinist with the City Ballet Orchestra of San Diego, also highlighted the arbitrary nature of airport screening procedures, observing that everything depends on the individual security officer: the inspection may proceed smoothly—or it may place fragile and highly valuable instruments at unnecessary risk.

Cellist Louisa Tuck of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra recounted another troubling experience. During an airport security inspection, she handed over a cello by Gagliano, on loan from the Norwegian foundation Dextra Musica, housed in a Stevenson flight case. She specifically asked the security staff to place the instrument on its side once removed from the case. Instead, it was stood upright against a wall, creating a serious risk that it could fall onto the bridge.

Drawing on cases collected over the past fifteen years by the International Federation of Musicians (FIM) and Pearle* – Live Performance Europe, the European Parliament and the Council have published a provisional agreement introducing revised rules, particularly regarding passengers' rights to travel with musical instruments on board aircraft. (https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:6f6f2b79-6851-4318-98c5-2297bb272615)

The agreement requires airlines and airports to provide clear and easily accessible information on the dimensions permitted for cabin baggage on their websites and all other booking platforms. Upon request, passengers must also be informed about the conditions under which fragile items, including musical instruments, will be transported either in the cabin or in the aircraft hold.

The provisional agreement further establishes that European Union air carriers must allow passengers to carry a musical instrument in the passenger cabin, provided that all applicable safety regulations and the technical limitations of the aircraft are respected. Musical instruments must be accepted for carriage in the cabin—properly stored in an appropriate protective case—provided they can be safely accommodated in an overhead luggage compartment or beneath a suitable passenger seat. In such cases, they count as part of the passenger's permitted cabin baggage allowance.

Airlines may also offer passengers the option of carrying an additional cabin item, beyond the standard allowance, subject to payment of any applicable fee. Where an instrument is too large to be safely stowed in an overhead compartment or beneath a seat, the airline may require the purchase of an additional seat if the instrument is to travel in the cabin. In such cases, the passenger and the instrument must occupy adjacent seats, with the instrument placed on the window seat. Where available and upon request, musical instruments should be transported in a heated section of the aircraft hold, subject to applicable safety requirements, available space and the aircraft's technical specifications.

Among the musicians who have been most active in calling for clearer and internationally applicable rules governing the air transport of musical instruments is cellist Valentina Scheldhofen Ciardelli. She is coordinating an important interinstitutional initiative involving European airport associations, airline organisations and musicians' associations. Thanks to her efforts, a meeting was held at the European Parliament in Brussels on 23 February to raise awareness among policymakers and encourage the adoption of clearer and more consistent standards, at least across Europe.

Scheldhofen Ciardelli's petition, My Instrument Is Not a Luggage, has now collected more than 10,000 signatures, demonstrating the growing international support for better protection of musicians travelling by air with their instruments. (https://www.change.org/p/rules-for-the-transport-of-musical-instruments?recruiter=916315042&recruited_by_id=7a495b20-eded-11e8-8b31-3bb6ca23a93d&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_content=cl_sharecopy_490594101_it-IT%3A1)