As the Department for Transport (DfT) tried to defend its new carry-on luggage regulations, O’Leary’s criticism was echoed by industry experts, airlines and even the British Airports Authority.
The central complaint was the DfT’s decision to limit carry-on luggage to the size of a small laptop bag — a concession widely seen as a sop to business travellers and of little benefit to tourists.
The International Air Transport Association says hand baggage should not exceed 56cm x 45cm x 25cm, yet gauges at British check-in desks will now accommodate nothing above 45cm x 35cm x 16cm — effectively reducing carry-on volume by 60%.
“What so-called security expert decided a large briefcase was safe while the normal carry-on wheelie bag isn’t?” O’Leary said.
The DfT disagrees, and says the new size rules strike a sensible balance. It claims that smaller bags are quicker to x-ray than bigger bags. But Norman Shanks, former head of Heathrow security, says that’s rubbish: “The size of the bag makes no difference at all.”