In the end, the musicians have won! Lufthansa and the Group’s affiliated airlines (SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways and Eurowings) will amend their rules for the transport of small musical instruments as of March 1: violin, viola, trumpet and ukulele cases will officially be permitted as carry-on baggage.

Thanks to the pressure exerted in recent months on the airlines by musicians and insurance companies (which cannot cover any damage to musical instruments transported without their protective cases), the idea has prevailed that a violin case measuring 80 cm x 27 cm x 16 cm has an overall volume smaller than the standard carry-on dimensions of 55 cm x 40 cm x 25 cm, and therefore does not take up more space when carried on board.

The pressure—particularly through the media—on airlines to revise boarding standards for small musical instruments began several months ago, when a number of musicians were forced to travel with their valuable instruments (without cases!) in their hands or on their laps in order to avoid checking them into the hold. Emblematic was the case of musician Carolin Widmann, who was forced to travel with her 1782 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin on her lap and without a case on a Lufthansa flight from Helsinki to Leipzig at the end of November 2025.

Following the extraordinary incident she experienced, Carolin Widmann issued a heartfelt appeal for solidarity to fellow musicians around the world and, above all, to the airlines concerned:

“The permitted dimensions for carry-on baggage are normally 55 cm x 40 cm x 25 cm. It doesn’t take a mathematical genius to understand that a violin case has a smaller volume than a trolley that can easily be brought on board. We musicians are happy to follow the rules. But these rules must urgently be updated, amended, and applied globally, so that each of us can travel with the valuable bowed instruments necessary for our profession without fear of unjust delays, extra costs, or denial of boarding. I hope that the terrible situation I had to face will help improve conditions for musicians who travel for work all over the world.”

Following Lufthansa’s revision of its boarding rules, Carolin Widmann expressed her full satisfaction with the outcome:

“I am deeply grateful to the airlines that have amended their boarding rules, because from now on we musicians will be able to travel on Lufthansa Group flights officially carrying our instruments on board in their proper cases. I extend my thanks to all fellow musicians for the support, comfort, and encouragement shown after my posts about Lufthansa! They gave me wings and encouraged me to persevere in calling for changes to travel rules, on behalf and for the benefit of all of us musicians.”

As of March 1, therefore, the new rules for the air transport of violins, violas, trumpets and ukuleles as carry-on baggage will come into effect—to the relief of musicians, insurers and case manufacturers—hoping that the rules adopted by Lufthansa will soon become standard practice for all other airlines as well.