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FEATURE EVACUATION

Skewed, perhaps, in favour of stuff. passengers don’t listen to that either.”
Sure, you may have your life’s work Mr Reed notes that airlines are largely
on that laptop stowed in the overhead not enforcing carry on restrictions for size
compartment. But what price might you or weight for competitive reasons.
pay in life and limb (yours’ and others) to The combination of passengers not
try to retrieve it when all hell’s breaking listening, larger and heavier bags and more
loose around you? That’s the question. aggression and defiance from air travellers
The problem is trying to stop is a perfect storm, suggest Mr Reed.
someone taking their bags off could With a general complacency from
delay the evacuation even further and be passengers about safety the industry has
counterproductive. a very dangerous cocktail and it is time for
It is a real dilemma says Steven Reed, regulators to act.
National Industrial Officer with the Flight More needs to be done and perhaps For passengers safe
Attendants Association of Australia. automatic or flight attendant activated locking evacuation from an aircraft
“There is a very real potential for a of overhead bins could be a good start. involved in an accident/
catastrophe,” said Mr Reed. Mr Reed has the last word and incident must be the highest
“We need far greater education suggests that perhaps we might follow the priority, not collecting their
cabin luggage which may
of passengers through the safety lead of military charter flights were there impede the safe exit from the
announcements but the problem is is no cabin baggage as it is all checked. airplane of fellow passengers
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