Air Asia Indonesia (QZ), a low cost carrier, has updated its baggage policy on Tuesday (July 7) for passengers of domestic flights traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic and allowed passengers to carry two cabin baggage into their booked domestic flights with certain conditions.

According to the updated baggage policy, one of the bags should not be bigger than 56 x 36 x 23 cm in size and should be placed in the overhead compartment in the aircraft. The other bag should be either a laptop bag, handbag, backpack or other small sized bag with dimensions not exceed by 40 x 30 x 10 cm and should be placed under the seat. The total maximum weight for both bags should be 7 Kg else they will be placed with checked baggage.

Smart baggage is also allowed in the cabin as long as its batteries have been removed and kept in a carry-on and its Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS have been turned off.

The airline has earlier restarted its domestic flight operations with new health protocols on certain routes since June 19 and had previously restricted passengers to carry only one small cabin baggage with weight up to 7 kg with dimensions not exceed by 40 x 30 x 10 cm into the aircraft, in a bid to minimize the risk and chances of COVID-19 transmission during air travel.

Apart from the updated cabin baggage policy, passengers will be required to go through screening, temperature checks and sanitization at the airport. The authorities also urged the travelers to carry a spare face mask and hand sanitizer with them at the all times.

In regards to flight-in meal services, passengers have to order their foods and beverages on the airline’s website or mobile app at least 24 hours before the flight departure.

At the airport, the passengers will be required to show either Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test results that are valid for only 7 days or non-reactive rapid test results that are valid for only 3 days. Passengers will be denied to fly if the results indicate that the traveler is positive to COVID-19. Moreover, all passengers will require to install the PeduliLindungi surveillance App.

In regards to COVID-19 transmission in Indonesia, cases of infection are still rising and the country has reported a total number of 66,226 confirmed cases which are under treatment and 3,309 patients have lost their lives due to virus. However, 30,785 patients who tested positive to COVID-19 have completely recovered from the virus, as of Wednesday (July 8).