The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched a global passenger safety campaign titled “Save a Life, Not a Bag”, aimed at reinforcing the importance of leaving cabin baggage behind during aircraft evacuations.
Supported by aviation regulators including the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the campaign seeks to educate travellers on the actions required during emergency evacuations. The initiative encourages passengers to follow crew instructions, leave all personal belongings behind and exit the aircraft as quickly as possible.
According to IATA, the campaign responds to a growing number of incidents in which passengers have delayed evacuations by retrieving baggage or using mobile devices to record events. Industry experts warn that even a few seconds spent collecting belongings can affect evacuation times and compromise passenger safety.
“Taking bags during an evacuation is not a minor issue. Every second matters. Even taking one bag can affect the safe evacuation of everyone onboard. Crew instructions are clear and simple: leave everything behind and move quickly. ‘Save a Life, Not a Bag’ is a message that passengers need to understand and act upon,” said Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA.
Research commissioned by IATA across the United States, the United Kingdom, the UAE and Singapore found significant gaps in passenger awareness. While 80 per cent of respondents believed they knew what to do during an emergency evacuation, only 61 per cent correctly identified leaving personal belongings behind as the appropriate action. The survey also found that one in ten passengers would still consider taking baggage with them despite instructions not to do so.
The findings further revealed that many travellers misunderstand aircraft evacuation requirements, with only 18 per cent aware that aircraft evacuation procedures are designed around a 90-second certification benchmark.
Florian Guillermet, Executive Director, EASA, said: “Rapid evacuation in an emergency situation saves lives. Aircraft are certified to stringent evacuation standards and crews are trained extensively for emergency situations, to make sure every single passenger has the best possible chance of survival in an acute situation.”
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford added: “We are seeing an increasing number of passengers not following flight crew instructions during emergencies. In those moments, compliance is critical.”
The campaign also encourages travellers to keep essential items such as passports, money and medication on their person before take-off and landing, reducing the perceived need to retrieve baggage during an evacuation.
As part of an industry-wide rollout, campaign materials and digital assets will be made available to airlines, airports, media organisations and aviation stakeholders to help promote safer passenger behaviour and improve awareness of evacuation procedures.
