Lufthansa changes carry-on rules: what you need to know
Tengrinews.kz – German airline Lufthansa will introduce new carry-on rules for small musical instruments starting 1 March 2026. This applies to violins, ukuleles, trumpets and other instruments of comparable size. They will now be subject to a separate regulation, according to DW.
The reason was a widely discussed incident with violinist Carolin Widmann, who had to fly with an 18th-century instrument without its case — wrapped in a sweater. News of the changes was first shared by the musician herself, and later officially confirmed by Lufthansa Group.
How the rules will change
The main innovation is an exception to the 55-centimetre length limit for carry-on baggage. From March, small musical instruments may be taken into the cabin if:
the total dimensions of the case (length + width + height) do not exceed 125 centimetres;the instrument can be safely stowed in the overhead bin or under the seat in front.The new rules will be mandatory for all airlines in the group:
Lufthansa;
Austrian Airlines;
SWISS;
Brussels Airlines;
ITA Airways;
Eurowings.
Why the rules were revised
The trigger for the discussion was the story of German violinist Carolin Widmann, who at the end of 2025 faced the existing restrictions on a flight from Helsinki to Leipzig via Frankfurt. Her standard violin case measuring about 80 × 27 × 16 centimetres did not meet the current carry-on requirements.
Although its volume is smaller than that of an allowed cabin suitcase, its length exceeds the established limit. At check-in, she was asked to check the case into the hold, so she had to take her 1782 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin, worth several million euros, into the cabin without a case, wrapped in a sweater.
Later, Widmann published an open letter to Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr. In it she proposed, in particular, to formalise a separate rule for small instruments and cited the example of the United States, where airlines are required to allow them in the cabin if they fit into the overhead bins.
“A standard violin case exceeds the specified dimensions of 55 x 40 x 23 centimetres. It usually measures 80 x 27 x 16 centimetres, which makes it about one-third smaller in volume than an allowed wheeled cabin suitcase,” she noted.
Since there are no unified EU rules for such cases, much depended on the specific flight and staff decisions. The new Lufthansa Group policy standardises these conditions.