Island Aviation Services Limited (IASL), which operates the national airline Maldivian, has stated no changes have been brought to the hand baggage policy of the airline.
The statement by IASL was issued following reports that the airline had imposed charges on a carry-on bag that did not exceed the 5kg permitted as per the hand baggage policy. The media reports claimed the check-in counter had told the passenger that the charges were imposed due to a full flight.
However, IASL stated no changes have been brought to its hand baggage policy, noting passengers will not be charged to carry on a bag that fits the description of allowed hand baggage. As such, IASL noted bags that weigh less than 5kg, and are less than 20 inches long, 12 inches wide and 7 inches high will be allowed as hand baggage. IASL said any baggage that does not fit the description will need to be checked in.
Maldivian operates Airbus and Dash 8 aircraft for its domestic flights. The hand baggage policies of the airline are based on the cabin capacity of its aircraft.