Lufthansa has revised its carry-on baggage policy for musical instruments following a controversy involving a priceless 18th-century violin that was transported on a flight wrapped only in a sweater.
The incident occurred in autumn 2025 when renowned German violinist Caroline Widmann was travelling from Helsinki to Leipzig via Frankfurt. During check-in, Lufthansa staff informed her that her violin case exceeded the airline’s cabin baggage size limit.
The case measured approximately 80 centimetres in length, exceeding Lufthansa’s previous maximum allowance of 55 centimetres for carry-on items. According to Widmann, airline staff insisted that the instrument case be checked into the aircraft hold.
Faced with the prospect of placing the valuable instrument in checked baggage, the violinist was reportedly forced to remove the violin from its protective case. The empty case was sent to the cargo hold, while Widmann carried the violin through security and onto the aircraft wrapped only in her sweater.
The instrument in question was a rare violin crafted by Italian luthier Giovanni Battista Guadagnini in 1782. Such instruments are considered among the most valuable in the world and can be worth several million euros.
An Open Letter Prompted Change
Widmann, who performs around 60 concerts annually and frequently travels on Lufthansa flights, said musicians had previously been allowed to bring similar instruments into the cabin without issue. Following the incident, she published an open letter calling on the airline to create a dedicated policy for small musical instruments.
The appeal gained significant attention within the music community, where concerns about transporting valuable and fragile instruments have long been a source of frustration for professional performers.
New Rules for Violins and Other Instruments
Lufthansa has now introduced an exception to its standard carry-on baggage restrictions for small musical instruments.
Under the revised policy, instruments such as violins, ukuleles, trumpets and similar items will be permitted in the cabin even if they exceed the standard 55-centimetre length limit.
However, the airline has established a new size requirement. The combined dimensions of the instrument case — length, width and depth — must not exceed 125 centimetres.
The updated policy will apply across the entire Lufthansa Group, including Austrian Airlines, SWISS, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways and Eurowings.
Relief for Musicians
The change is expected to be welcomed by musicians who regularly travel with valuable instruments and have long argued that checking them into aircraft cargo holds creates unnecessary risks.
For many performers, the new policy provides greater certainty when travelling and reduces the likelihood that irreplaceable instruments will have to leave their owners’ sight during a journey.
